=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2005/01/13/f= inancial0906EST0056.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, January 13, 2005 (AP) Airbus asks for inspections after cracks found on wing of A340 (01-13) 06:06 PST PARIS (AP) -- European aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS has asked airlines using its A330 and A340 wide-bodied aircraft to inspect the planes after cracks were found in the wing of a plane in Germany, the company said Thursday. Airbus has informed the French aviation authority DGAC, which is supporting the company's recommendation that airlines check aircraft during regular maintenance. A day earlier, Chief Operating Officer Gustav Humbert said during a news conference that the cracks were not "dramatic" and that there was no need to ground the 613 planes currently in operation with 74 carriers. Airbus said it was standard procedure to inform all of its operators when it finds something that needs to be inspected and monitored. The company has parts that can be used to replace the faulty units if needed. The four-engine A340, which shares many of the features of the A330, is the longest and largest Airbus aircraft flying today. The A340 on which the cracks were found belongs to Lufthansa, news reports said. The A330 is a twin-engine aircraft that carries between 253 to 335 passengers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2005 AP