Emirates checks A380s after wing crack alert

Emirates airline is checking one of its A380s and has inspected another after the European Aviation Safety Agency, or EASA, instructed all operators of the superjumbo jets on Friday to look for new cracks on the wings of the aircraft. A spokesman for the airline, the largest A380 customer, said the EASA directive posed no safety issue and would not impact Emirates' operations. "The aircraft remain fully airworthy and pose no risk to flight safety as affirmed by EASA and Airbus," Emirates added. EASA on Friday issued an airworthiness directive calling on airlines operating the superjumbos to inspect the planes' wings for a new type of crack. Article continues below It's concerned that if any cracks aren't fixed promptly, parts of the wing could be in danger of breaking up in flight. Emirates has 90 A380s on order and 20 have been delivered. The EASA dir-ective applies to a total of 20 A380 aircraft, including planes operated by Singapore Airlines, Air France-KLM and Emirates. Qatar Airways has 10 firm orders for the A380, with delivery starting in 2013. Airbus late last week found the new fissures in wing components on its A380s.