Airbus is facing renewed regulatory attention after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered inspections of 16 Airbus A380 aircraft following the discovery of cracks in a critical wing structure component.
The inspections focus on the wing mid-spar, an essential structural element within the wing box that distributes flight loads. Of the affected aircraft, 15 are operated by Emirates and one by Qantas, with five Emirates aircraft required to undergo inspections before their next flight. While EASA has not grounded the A380 fleet and has identified no immediate widespread safety risk, emergency airworthiness directives are uncommon and underline the seriousness of the issue.
The latest development adds to Airbus’s existing challenges. The manufacturer continues to struggle with supply chain disruptions, particularly shortages of Pratt & Whitney engines, which have delayed aircraft deliveries and left completed jets awaiting engines at production sites in Toulouse and Hamburg.
Airbus is also facing increased regulatory oversight on other programmes, including additional maintenance requirements for certain A330 aircraft and monitoring of updates to the A320 family following concerns about flight-control systems. The pressure comes as Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury has warned that regulatory complexity, high energy costs and administrative burdens are affecting Europe’s industrial competitiveness.