Titan Manufacturer Insurance highlights the case of Airbus maker having to carry out checks on the wings of its superjumbo aircraft the A380 as evidence of a manufacturer’s continuing commitment to its products long after it has left the factory
Titan says that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ordered Airbus to carry out the checks on each of the 68 planes currently in service. Initially, the checks were limited to 20 of the huge aircraft, but that has now been extended.
Small cracks have appeared in the wings which are made in North Wales. Airbus maintain that the wings are perfectly safe and that operational capabilities have not been affected.
Qantas has already grounded one of its A380s after cracks were found – some around 2cm – in the brackets, made of metal, which connect the ribs of the wing, to the skin.
Singapore airlines has already repaired some of the cracks on its aircraft wings and the planes are back in operation.
It’s likely, says Titan, that the entire fleet of A380s will be back in the air very shortly, and there is no talk, at the moment, of any financial compensation from Airbus to its airlines.
Chief Executive Officer of Titan Manufacturer Insurance, Basil Tsapralis, said:
“The situation highlights why manufacturers have to have all the liabilities covered when it comes protecting themselves out in the marketplace. One of the biggest problems for manufacturers is that should their product cause a customer to suffer financial loss, then the impact could be significant.”
Titan Manufacturer Insurance is a major player in the UK market and has clients in all sectors of the industry.
