News of a solution to the latest problem to beset the world's largest passenger aircraft lifted the shares of parent company EADS 16.5 cents to EUR25.61 (21.50 pounds).

Cracks in the UK-manufactured wings of the A380 fleet were first discovered in October and since then there has been a drip-feed of disclosures about issues with L-shaped brackets that fasten the outside of the wing to its internal frame.

The problem saw the European Aviation Safety Agency last week order airlines to inspect 20 A380s -- almost a third of the fleet in operation -- after two types of cracks were discovered within weeks of each other.

However, an Airbus executive made frank remarks aimed at shoring up confidence in the aircraft.

"The A380 is safe to fly," said Tom Williams, executive vice-president of programmes at Airbus, speaking at an aviation industry conference on Thursday evening.

Airbus blamed the cracks inside the wings -- which are made in Broughton, Wales -- on three issues: the selection of aluminium alloy for some of the 4,000 brackets inside the wings; the use of a type of fastening that strained the metal; and a method of closing tiny gaps that put more stress on a handful of parts.

The cost of repairing the problem will be borne by Airbus as the aircraft are under warranty, although the company declined to disclose the likely cost.

A spokesman for Airbus said: "It would be an over-simplification to say responsibility for this lies with the assembly process at Broughton. They are the last element of a complicated process but we work globally from development, design and build processes. We are one Airbus, so responsibility is with us as whole."

This is the second major public problem for the A380. In November 2010 a superjumbo operated by Australia's Qantas had to make an emergency landing after one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines exploded. Rolls paid 62 million pounds in compensation to Qantas after its A380s were grounded as a result.

The cracks afflicting the A380 were discovered as the damaged Qantas aircraft was being repaired after the incident.