Qantas to check A380 aircraft for cracks in wings

Australia's Qantas Airways said today that it will carry out inspections on its entire A380 fleet for wing cracks after European air safety officials extended checks to all superjumbos worldwide. "We will comply fully with the directive," a Qantas spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, the airline said it had grounded one A380 for up to a week after engineers found 36 cracks in its wings during detailed inspections following a flight hit by turbulence.

The European Air Safety Agency said it felt widespread defects in the world's largest passenger plane could pose a safety risk if left unremedied.