Airbus has delayed repairs to wing cracks on its flagship A380 superjumbo to early next year in order to allow time to ensure the fixes are final, the company said on Thursday.
"The critical point is that we only want to go and do this one time," said Airbus Executive Vice President Tom Williams.
"The permanent solution will be applied in the early part of next year and will be for aircraft that are in service," he said.
The European planemaker will begin building A380 wings without the defect using a new type of aluminium in 2013 which means aircraft delivered from 2014 onwards, Williams added.
Qantas and other airlines found tiny cracks, which Airbus said posed no risk to safety, on the wings of several A380s earlier this year.
The A380, which entered service in 2007, is the world's biggest passenger jet and a key product in Airbus's line-up as it battles its main rival US giant Boeing for the top spot in the world civil airliner industry.
AFP
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