SIA Airbus fleet returns to service as Qantas mulls grounding till December
UPDATE: Steve Creedy, Aviation writer From: The Australian
November 17, 2010 12:48PM
QANTAS may wait till December before its Airbus A380s fly again, while Singapore Airlines has returned its 11-strong fleet to service.
The flying kangaroo is considering whether to divert engines meant for its undelivered aircraft to its grounded superjumbos.
Qantas today said it was looking at taking modified new engines meant for two of its aircraft on the Airbus production line in Toulouse, France to replace Trent 900 engines on grounded planes that have shown potentially dangerous oil leaks.
But it now appears that it will be next month at the earliest before the first Qantas Airbus A380 takes to the air, amid worries the peak summer season will be affected.
The flying kangaroo is taking an ultra-conservative approach to safety after the disintegration of an engine on an A380 near Singapore almost two weeks ago. An oil fire in the engine is believed to have caused the disintegration of an intermediate pressure turbine disc, which peppered the left wing with shrapnel and caused substantial damage.
Qantas immediately grounded its entire A380 fleet in the wake of the engine explosion, while the other operators with Trent 900 engines, SIA and Lufthansa, kept planes flying under a series of inspections that were ordered by manufacturer Rolls-Royce and European regulators.
SIA later took three A380s out of service, including two that were operating on Australian routes, for precautionary engine changes.
A spokesman for SIA, Nicholas Ionides, yesterday declined to comment on the Qantas decision to ground its planes, but said safety was SIA’s first priority and it would not fly if it believed its planes were unsafe.
Mr Ionides said: “We remain in very close contact with Rolls-Royce and Airbus, and all checks that we have carried out to date have been in full compliance with their recommendations and instructions.
“We are also continuing with inspections of all our Trent 900 engines in full compliance with the (European Aviation Safety Agency’s) Airworthiness Directive, which ensures the safe and continuous operation of the fleet.”