London ( CNN ) -- The European Aviation Safety Agency has ordered checks for cracks in the wings of the Airbus A380 , though it has stopped short of grounding the fleet . CNN examines some key questions about the aircraft and what it means for the passengers , the airlines and the manufacturers . What is the Airbus A380 ? The jet liner is a double-deck , wide-bodied aircraft made by Airbus -- a subsidiary of the EADS group -- and capable of carrying more than 800 passengers , though it routinely carries far fewer . It made its maiden flight in 2005 and first entered service with Singapore Airlines in 2007 . As of January 31 , 2012 , the company said it had delivered 68 aircraft to customers and had orders for a further 185 . Which airlines fly it ? The Airbus A380 is currently in service with Air France , China Southern Airlines , Emirates , Korean Air , Lufthansa , Qantas and Singapore Airlines . Airbus says within the first three years of service , about 15 million passengers had flown in the jet . Is there anything distinctive about the airliner ? Its potential capacity makes it the largest passenger carrier in the world -- although the Boeing 747-8 is a longer aircraft . David Kaminksi-Morrow , air transport editor of Flight International magazine , says it was developed to compete with the Boeing 747 which had dominated the jumbo airliner market for decades . `` Apart from its size , the A380 is notable for its quietness , '' he said . `` It 's quiet both inside and out , and that 's quite an achievement , and spacious . It 's also an efficient aircraft -- it has a low fuel bill per passenger which keeps the airlines and the environmental lobby happy . '' Boeing says on its website that the 747-8 will be quieter , produce lower emissions and achieve better fuel economy than any competing jet liner . So what 's the problem with the A380 ? The European Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA ) last month required checks for cracks in the 20 oldest aircraft after faults were found in the wing rib feet -- the bracket that joins the ribs to the wing surface . It has now expanded the request that carriers carry out inspection and repair on the Airbus A380 before reaching 1300 flight cycles . For aircraft already very close to 1300 flights , a six-week window is being provided so they can plan ahead for their inspection to minimize disruption to their operations . A spokesman for the aviation agency said the planes could still fly , but had to be checked within the time frame , and a long-term fix was being worked on with Airbus . The original cracks were found as a result of investigations into a separate incident in which a Qantas A380 suffered an engine failure in November 2010 . If cracks are found , the airline must contact Airbus for instruction , the safety agency said . Should passengers be worried ? Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders told CNN 's Richard Quest last month that the cracks in the wing rib feet were `` minor '' and that safety was an `` absolute priority . '' Kaminski-Morrow also said he did n't believe safety was an issue , adding : `` It 's a structural issue and structural issues have to be investigated but the wing is n't going to fall off as a result of the problem . EASA could ground the aircraft if it wanted to -- but has n't . It 's not categorized as an emergency . '' In response to last month 's checks , Enders said : `` What we have developed already is a repair solution , and this is what we will apply on the various aircraft if and where it is necessary . '' He also said the fault was confined to the A380 and confirmed that it was not a wider problem on the Airbus range . What does it mean for Airbus ? Enders admitted the fault was embarrassing for Airbus but Kaminski-Morrow described it as more of a `` teething problem . '' He told CNN Wednesday : `` I do n't think this will harm its reputation in the long term . The plane is very reliable and proving to be very popular . I think the airlines will stick with it . It 's selling . The A380 is here to stay . '' What about the competition ? The rivalry between Airbus and American competitor Boeing is intense . Both companies have accused each other of receiving illegal subsidies and in 2005 both filed complaints with the World Trade Organization . The wide-bodied Boeing 747-8 was made in response to the A380 to battle for the custom of airlines running long-haul routes , and for freight trade -- and the manufacturers continue to upgrade their designs and improve efficiency . When the two models were compared by Flight International in 2006 , the magazine concluded : `` It will be another five years at least until it becomes clear who has got it right , but one thing is certain -- the airlines at last have what they always wanted and that is a choice of supplier at the top end of the size spectrum . ''
The European air safety regulator has ordered safety checks for all Airbus aircraft after cracks were found in the fuselage . The aircraft can potentially carry more than 800 passengers and is said by an industry magazine to be a very quiet aircraft . Its main rival is the Boeing 747 - 8 which is also claimed to be quiet and efficient . Airbus says it has found a ` ` repair solution ''