Qantas has confirmed it has found cracks in three of its Boeing 737s, after completing an audit this week.
In a statement, the airline said: "Of the 33 of Qantas' 737 aircraft that required inspection, three were found to have a hairline crack in the pickle fork structure.
"These aircraft have been removed from service for repair."
In this morning's announcement, the chief executive of Qantas Domestic, Andrew David, described those comments as "irresponsible".