Airbus disclosed a cracking issue in its A400M military transport aircraft Friday and said its government customers must inspect the planes and make fixes if necessary. The issue doesn't impact flight safety, the it said. The issue was first identified in 2011 in tests before the plane went into service.
The cracking issue adds to a chain of woes that have emerged since Airbus began developing the plane for seven European customers and Turkey more than a decade ago. It also raises questions about how much more money must be spent getting the plane into shape in order to satisfy customers. The military transport has been Airbus's most consistent bugbear over the last decade, with repeated delays causing it to enter service five years late.
