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The Qantas A380 damaged by the mid-air uncontained failure of one of its engines in 2010 should be back in the air by the end of next month, the airline has said.
VH-OQA Nancy-Bird Walton has been undergoing repairs in Singapore for the past 16 months. Qantas says those repairs are substantially finished, with only a refresh of the aircraft’s cabin remaining before the superjumbo jet can re-join the fleet.
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The explosion, blamed on a faulty oil pipe, occurred on November 4, 2010 as the aircraft flew over Indonesia on its way from Singapore to Sydney. Pilots were able to fly the aircraft safely back to Singapore, but pieces of the engine sent flying by the explosion pierced the wing, punctured fuel tanks and damaging wiring and hydraulics.
The repairs, estimated to have cost $135 million, have been carried out by Airbus and engineers from Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and other executive are expected to be aboard when the Nancy-Bird Walton returns to Australia in late April, Fairfax reported.
