But Is Unlikely To Compensate Operators For Time Lost From Service

Airbus said Friday that it will cover the costs airlines incur when repairing wing cracks which have cropped up in many A380 superjumbo airplanes, but the carriers will most likely not be reimbursed for the time that the airplanes are out of service.

The French news service AFP cites a report in the Sydney Morning Herald in which Airbus says it expects the costs of the repairs to be about $139 million, which it would cover. But the planemaker's CEO John Leahy told the paper that "It is not typical that there would be any compensation above and beyond the actual repairing of the product."

Leahy told the paper that the repairs would be covered under warranty, and likened the situation to a car repair. "The manufacturer doesn't pay for you to go and rent another car," he said.

Leahy also said again that the cracks, which have cropped up on some A380s in an area where the wing skin bonds to its underlying structure, are not a safety issue for the airplane. "This is a maintenance issue. It is unfortunate we have to replace some of those parts but he happens," he told the paper.

FMI: www.airbus.com