A380 Qantas Incident Covered by Procedures: Airbus

PARIS, KOMPAS.com - Airbus, makers of the A380 superjumbo involved in a dramatic emergency landing in Singapore Thursday, said the incident involving the Qantas Airways aircraft was “significant” but covered by procedures. The engine failure was a “significant incident”, a spokesman told AFP.

“The planes are certified with several engines, four in the case of the A380,” he said. “We are not playing down the incident, but it is covered in the certification procedures,” he added.

“If there are four engines, it is also to deal with this kind of difficult situation.” Qantas, one of five airlines flying the A380s, has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380 until they know more about the incident.

The double-decker plane suffered “a significant engine failure” according to Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce. The plane, carrying 433 passengers and 26 crew, dumped fuel over Indonesia before returning to Singapore, trailing smoke, where it was doused by fire crews.