Qantas to resume flying Airbus A380 superjumbos

Qantas Airplane

Three weeks after an engine explosion forced one of the Qantas airline's A380 planes to make an emergency landing, Qantas says it is to resume flying some of its A380 superjumbos on Saturday.

The pilots of a Qantas A380 made a successful emergency landing in Singapore on 4 November.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said he was satisfied the aircraft were safe to fly, following extensive checks.

Two superjumbos will initially fly the Sydney to London route, he added.

After the incident, the Australian airline grounded all six of its A380s.

Qantas was now working with Airbus and British engine-maker Rolls-Royce to get all 6 superjumbos back in the air.

Rolls-Royce has said the engine failure on 4 November "was confined to a specific component" which led to an oil fire and loss of turbine pressure.

Flying debris from the engine then severed cables in the aircraft's wing, the plane's manufacturer Airbus said. The A380 is the flagship of the European aviation giant's fleet.

The result of a long and costly research programme, it made its first commercial flight in 2007.

It is the world's largest passenger airliner, a double-decker which can carry up to 800 people - though Qantas A380s are set up to carry about 450.