Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Airbus A380 checks extended to entire fleet

Updated at 8:44 am on 9 February 2012

European air safety officials are to inspect the entire fleet of Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger airliner, for cracks in their wings.

The European Aviation Safety Agency last month ordered checks on the 20 planes with the highest mileage.

Both the agency and the Airbus company say the fleet of 60 planes is not being grounded, and they're not considered unsafe.

Qantas on Wednesday grounded an A380 after it was found with cracked wings. Qantas has 12 A380s in its fleet.

The ABC reports the cracking was discovered during an extra round of precautionary checks requested by Airbus after it hit severe turbulence over India in January.

Seven passengers were injured and four required hospital treatment in Singapore following the incident.

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