Emirates' A380s are not affected

It's been two weeks since a Qantas Airbus A380 blew an engine after taking off from Singapore. For the passengers on board, the sight of one engine spewing flames and parts piercing a wing was certainly disconcerting. Had this event taken place on any other make or model of commercial jet, the incident would have been less noteworthy.

The Airbus A380 is a remarkable marvel of modern engineering, replete with the latest technologies and safety features available to aeronautical engineers.

But the publicity surrounding the incident may have a knock-on effect on passengers who would normally be attracted to flying this double-decker behemoth.

Emirates airline has invested heavily in the new superjumbo. While only a dozen or so have been delivered to Emirates, the airline has embarked on a significant marketing plan.

Emirates President Tim Clark voiced his concern several days ago that the Singapore incident will harm the reputation of the Airbus A380 as a top-class aircraft.

Let us be clear: the Qantas fleet uses Rolls-Royce engines, Emirates flies on GE Pratt and Whitney engines. The oil leaks have been found in the Rolls-Royce engines. The GE power plants are unaffected — so too are the Emirates' A380s.