Europe's air safety regulator said it had lightened a series of compulsory safety inspections on Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines after investigations into a Qantas A380 engine blowout "progressed".
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airlines would no longer be required to carry out checks on turbine blades inside the engines as investigators check for clues that might explain why one of the superjumbo's engines disintegrated mid-flight earlier this month.
Airlines must still carry out regular checks on the "air buffer cavity" and focus in particular on the "oil service tubes" in an area housing two of the engine's three turbines, EASA said in an updated airworthiness directive.
Airlines which operate the A380 with Rolls-Royce engines -- currently Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa -- will still have to carry out the mandatory checks after 10 flights initially and then every 20 flights, EASA said.
The Nov. 4 emergency has been linked to possible oil leaks.
Qantas said it would resume flying the Airbus A380 superjumbo this week on a limited basis.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said airlines would no longer be required to carry out checks on turbine blades inside the engines as investigators check for clues that might explain why one of the superjumbo's engines disintegrated mid-flight earlier this month.
Airlines must still carry out regular checks on the "air buffer cavity" and focus in particular on the "oil service tubes" in an area housing two of the engine's three turbines, EASA said in an updated airworthiness directive.
Airlines which operate the A380 with Rolls-Royce engines -- currently Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa -- will still have to carry out the mandatory checks after 10 flights initially and then every 20 flights, EASA said.
The Nov. 4 emergency has been linked to possible oil leaks.
Qantas said it would resume flying the Airbus A380 superjumbo this week on a limited basis.
