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Aircraft maker Airbus has been ordered to check all A380 superjumbo planes currently in service after cracks were found in wing components.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ordered all 68 Airbus A380 superjumbo planes currently in operation to be checked.

The superjumbo’s maker said it had already started implementing a temporary fix  to the problem and a permanent fix would be rolled out shortly.

The move came as Qantas Airways, Australia’s largest carrier, suspended the use of one of its Airbus A380 passenger jets after discovering 36 small cracks in key wing components.

source: BBC.co.uk

Japanese low-cost carrier Skymark could soon be offering cheap flights from Europe to Japan.

Last week, Airbus confirmed that the budget airline had ordered four of its enormous A380 “‘superjumbos'”, signalling a significant gear shift for a carrier which currently operates a fleet of relatively small Boeing 737s within Japan.

According to reports, the new A380s will be used to begin long-haul services between Tokyo and London, Paris and Frankfurt and will be introduced in 2014, potentially providing a cheaper alternative to flights between Japan and Europe currently operated by major airlines such as JAL, ANA, British Airways, Air France.

source: Independent

Lufthansa says it will start using Airbus A380 superjumbo jets on its route from Frankfurt to San Francisco starting in May.

The company said in an statement that from May 10 its daily flights will be able to carry up to 526 passengers — 420 in economy, 98 in business and eight in first class.

Lufthansa says it will be the first airline to have regular flights with an A380 in and out of San Francisco International Airport.

source: BusinessWeek

A low-fare Japanese airline plans to acquire six Airbus A380 superjumbos as it develops an international route network in competition with full-service rivals ANA and Japan Airlines.

Skymark is little known outside Japan, but its ambitious plans and a $2.8 billion commitment to the new Airbus fleet could help set it on a global footing at a time when low cost carriers like AirAsia X and Jetstar are starting to spread their wings on long-haul routes. Currently it flies just 16 Boeing 737-800s.

For the aviation industry, the news is significant: Airbus’ US rival Boeing has a near monopoly on Japanese airline fleets.

source: aviationrecord.com