Qantas grounds damaged A380

QANTAS’S new pin-up aircraft was briefly grounded in Brisbane when engineers discovered damage to an exterior latch.The Airbus A380 was delayed as repairs were made to the latch but an airline spokeswoman refused to describe the nature of the damage or how it occurred.The aircraft returned to Sydney without incident.Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority suspended the licence of charter operator Aero-Tropics after two incidents in the Torres Strait last week which CASA said had put passengers at serious risk. It was the second time this year CASA has suspended the airline’s licence.

CASA will apply to the Federal Court this week to maintain the suspension for up to 40 days while investigations continue.On Saturday a plane belonging to a second far north Queensland aviation company, Hinterland Aviation, crashed into bushland after over-shooting the runway at Dunk Island, near Cairns. One person was injured.