What is the problem with A380 wing?

FRANKFURT—A phenomenon called hydrogen assisted cracking or hydrogen embrittlement has been identified as the cause of accelerated crack development in certain wing spars of Airbus A380s that have been stored for extended periods of time.



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The 'curve' near the root means that the landing gear in the wings could be as short as possible while being long enough to prevent a tail strike during rotation and allowing the spar to pass below the floor. The shape also allows enough ground clearance for the inboard engines.

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The arrival of the A380 in 2007 was poorly timed. The price of jet fuel had begun to creep up, and by 2007 was floating at around $4 a gallon. This made airlines shy away from the expensive to operate four engine jets of the 80s and 90s, and to look instead to fuel efficiency as a major deciding factor.

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According to Sir Tim Clark, the A380 allows Emirates to get ahead of congestion issues at major airport around the world. With infrastructure struggling to keep up with demand for landing slots and airport gates, the superjumbo allows the airline to increase passenger volume with fewer aircraft and fewer flights.

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The Pilots For those looking after the safety of everyone on board, the A380 is generally well-loved. “The A380 is a pleasure to operate,” said Nigel, a captain for a European airline. “Handling is similar to the A320, with the 380 being a little more sensitive in pitch. It's very nimble despite its size!”

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On board shower: The huge airliner is known for its luxury amenities with some airlines, like Emirates, including passenger showers for first class fliers. Quiet and comfort: A380 fans love the quiet experience of flying on board, and the level of comfort offered.

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A total of 251 Airbus A380s were built and delivered for civil aviation. How many A380s are still flying? As of May 2023, about 130 A380s are in service - but several airlines plan to reactivate more aircraft during the year.

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But fast forward a year, and the A380's hefty size and steep operational costs had no place in the pandemic's minimal, cost-efficient international flight schedules. Thanks to Covid-19, most of the world's A380 fleet were grounded.

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Currently, the world's biggest international airline has on order 50 A350-900s, 30 787-9s and 115 Boeing 777Xs. The airline operates 119 A380s, 123 Boeing 777-300ERs and 10 Boeing 777-200LRs. The 777X aircraft will replace the A380s, while the A350s and 787s will eventually replace the 777s.

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How much do A380 pilots get paid? Looking at pay tables provided by APA, if American Airlines operated the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747, effective May 2, 2023, captains on these aircraft would earn $402.28 per block hour during their first year of employment. By year 12, that would go up to $438.42 per block hour.

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World's best airports to land in according to pilots: The 15 airports that all pilots love flying to
  • New York, USA. ...
  • Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, Australia. ...
  • Stavanger, Norway. ...
  • Gibraltar. ...
  • Beijing, China. ...
  • Kittilä, Finland. ...
  • Ilulissat, Greenland. ...
  • San Francisco, USA.


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To become one of our A380 Captains, you will need a minimum of 7000 hrs total flying time multi-crew, multi-engine (only time in the operating seat of a turboprop and/or turbojet aircraft can be counted; not simulator time).

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For now, the upper limit for current and proposed aircraft seems to be around the 400-seat mark. Many current A380s are likely to be phased out over the next decade, if not sooner. As such, it seems very unlikely that we will see another aircraft of its size any time soon.

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