More Airbus planes must now be inspected for wing cracks

US aviation regulators are expanding a mandatory inspection program for certain Airbus passenger planes. This means more aircraft will need checks for potential cracks in their upper wing skin and stringer joints.

Aviation regulators found that more planes than previously thought might have a specific structural problem. This change means that a wider range of older Airbus aircraft will now be subject to mandatory safety checks, which could lead to more planes being grounded for repairs. It shifts the burden of identifying and fixing this issue from voluntary maintenance to a regulatory requirement.