HAMBURG, July 12: Hundreds of Airbus jetliners have been flying for months without a vital emergency navigation backup system, according to a German news magazine report.

The report in Der Spiegel, said radio magnetic indicators aboard an entire series of Airbus planes have been switched off pending investigation into reports that the RMIs could short out, possibly causing fire.

Without the backup equipment, the planes are “flying blind” should the primary navigation fail, the magazine said.

The report said the French manufacturers, Thales Avionics, has been unable to deliver substitute equipment, despite the fact that the fault was discovered more than a year ago.—dpa