British jet-engine maker Rolls-Royce would not comment on the report that it would swap out entire engines on A380 Superjumbo jets.
The company says (1)__________________________ that said an engine fire in a Quantas airliner was caused by a specific component in the turbine area, but declined to name the component. Industry analyst Howard Wheeldon says swapping out engines could take some time.
"It suggests this is a 3, 6 or maybe 9-month job (2)__________________________ as opposed to an earlier hope that it could be just a few weeks."
Quantas has grounded its six 380s, after finding oil leaks in 3 of them. A Quantas spokesman called its approach conservative. Wheeldon agrees. "Perfectly understandable that Quantas should want answers to what is still an unexplained problem, and to ensure that the engines in service in the future (3)__________________________."