Boeing faces fresh crisis as Qantas grounds three 737 jets with cracks

Qantas Airways Ltd. grounded three Boeing Co. 737s after discovering cracks near their wings during industry-wide inspections of high-mileage models of the workhorse jets.

The Australian airline found hairline cracks on a structure known as the pickle fork, which connects the wings to the fuselage. The planes will be back in service by the end of the year, Qantas said in a statement Friday.

The US Federal Aviation Administration last month ordered urgent checks on next-generation 737s that have carried out more than 30,000 flights, while aircraft with more than 22,600 flights needed less-immediate inspections. Qantas, which has a fleet of more