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.
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The European air safety agency has ordered safety checks for all Airbus A380s after cracks were found in the wings
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The A380 can potentially carry more than 800 passengers and is said by an industry expert to be a very quiet aircraft
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Its main rival is the Boeing 747-8 which is also claimed to be quiet and efficient
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Airbus says it has found a "repair solution"
@placeholder could ground the aircraft if it wanted to -- but hasn't.