EADS head says helicopter cracks not comparable to A380 woes

The head of European aerospace giant EADS said that cracks found in one of its most popular Eurocopter models were a minor glitch and not comparable to problems found on some superjumbo planes made by its subsidiary. EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, is already facing a substantial repair bill after cracks were found in the wings of some of its A380 planes manufactured by another subsidiary, Airbus. After that authorities ordered checks on the EC135 helicopter, following the discovery of cracks on a rotor. "These problems are in no way comparable. At Eurocopter, the scale is far less. For the moment, only three helicopters are affected," Louis Gallois told German newspaper Die Welt's Sunday edition. "For the present the sum (to find a solution) concerned is very little," he added. Gallois also said the eurozone crisis would badly hit the company, "pushing up costs." The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a directive on May 17 calling for the checks after cracks were detected in three helicopters during a regular inspection in Britain. Eurocopter is the world's biggest civil helicopter manufacturer and the EC135 one of its most popular models, with more than 1,000 sold to about 270 clients. EASA has called for operators of the EC135 and its military version the EC635 to visually inspect rotors before each flight and replace the main rotor hub if cracks are detected. The EC135 is a twin-engine helicopter widely used by police and ambulance services and for corporate transport. Airbus said last week it had found a solution to tiny cracks that have appeared in the wings of its A380 superjumbos, but the fix would cost it at least 260 million euros ($332 million), and potentially another 102 million euros by the end of the year.