Qantas will return A380 Airbuses to service

The airline clears its grounded superjumbo fleet for flight after the planes completed engine safety inspections

Published November 23, 2010 12:02AM (EST)

Qantas says it will return its grounded superjumbo fleet to the skies.

The airline's CEO Alan Joyce told reporters on Tuesday that the decision to put the six Airbus A380s back into service followed the completion of engine safety checks since a massive failure over Indonesia earlier this month.

Joyce said Qantas was now "completely comfortable now with the operation of the aircraft" and the first resumed flight would be at the weekend.

The scare prompted a global safety review of Rolls-Royce engines on 20 of the world's largest and newest jetliners across three airlines.

An investigation is still underway into the cause of the Nov. 4. disintegration of the engine as the plane took off from Singapore. Officials have indicated a fire caused by leaking oil was the likely cause.


By Associated Press

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