Airbus A380s operated by Qantas Airways may be grounded for weeks as Rolls-Royce plans how to fix an engine problem which forced one of the superjumbos into an emergency landing, sources said. "It is a very complex process and it is still in the early stages," said an Australian-based source with direct knowledge of the situation and who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to discuss the issue.
"I expect Rolls and Qantas are still several weeks away from putting together an action plan and its documentation." Qantas grounded its fleet of six Airbus A380s, pending an investigation, after a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine failed on November 4. A delay would squeeze the Australian airline's capacity as it heads into the busy holiday season. "Rolls are still coming up with a plan on how to go about the fix so I very much doubt whether there is an exact timeline in place" said a source familiar with the company who wished to remain nameless.