What's behind the legal dispute between Qatar Airways and Airbus?
Cruising Heights|February 2022
Qatar Airways is seeking compensation of $618 million plus $4 million a day after grounding 21 A-350s over safety concerns. Qatar Airways has been locked for months in a legal dispute with Europe’s Airbus manufacturer over “serious and legitimate safety concerns” after a delivery of A-350 jets. Qatar’s state-owned airline is seeking compensation, saying that the flawed planes forced it to ground 21 of its fleet of 53 Airbus A-350s in both its 1000 and 900 series.
What's behind the legal dispute between Qatar Airways and Airbus?

Qatar Airways first voiced its concern over the paint issue on its A350s in November 2020. This was when it was attempting to repaint a five-year-old aircraft in World Cup livery. The exercise exposed about 980 defects, said Qatar Airways. Five other airlines, including Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Lufthansa and Air France had also issue with the A-350 paint, something they had raised in 2016, much before Qatar. But there was no grounding of aircrafts by these airlines.

Qatar Airways is asking for compensation of $618 million plus $4 million a day, and has declined to take delivery of 23 more A350s until the problem with degradation of exterior fuselage surfaces is resolved. Accepting that there were paint flaws that did need attention, Airbus said they were cosmetic issues and did not put safety at risk.

This story is from the February 2022 edition of Cruising Heights.

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This story is from the February 2022 edition of Cruising Heights.

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