Qantas A380 grounded in Los Angeles following damage to slat on wing
The A380 was returning to service after spending years in storage.
Qantas has faced an embarrassing setback when an A380, recently promoted as returning to service, was found with part of its wing peeling apart.
The A380, returning to service after years in storage, was en route from Sydney to Los Angeles on December 7.
Upon arrival, the aircraft was grounded in Los Angeles due to damage to a slat on its left wing.
A Qantas spokesperson said a section of the slat on the left wing was found to be damaged after landing in Los Angeles Sunday local time.
"The aircraft operated normally and landed without incident," the spokesperson said.
"Engineers are now replacing the slat so it can return to operations."
Slats are used during takeoff and landing and are retracted from the majority of the flight.
One passenger on the flight Lynn Gilmartin, wrote on social media, the plane should "never" have taken from Sydney.
"It was not fit for travel," she wrote.
"No TV working, no lights in most of the cabins, most seats wouldn't recline ...but then a chunk of the wing snapped off dropping down in California somewhere."
Carla Mascarenhas is a journalist with Explore Travel and The Senior. She specialises in deep issues affecting Gen X and beyond, and the latest in travel news. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Travel's Top Picks
Travel's Most Viewed
The ingenious 'double-dip' trick Aussies are using to guarantee their Europe flights
My first motorhome holiday - what I did right and what every beginner should know
Qatar Airways named world's best airline for 2026: see the full rankings
Is the era of the Middle Eastern stopover over?
A new business class to Asia delivers wow-factor comfort without the high cost
