A row between Qatar Airways and Airbus over peeling paint has
escalated with the two parties set for a British High Court showdown.
The dispute centres on Qatar’s claim of “serious and legitimate
safety concerns” regarding the surface degradation adversely impacting
the Airbus A350 fleet.
Airbus denies the claim and has followed up by cancelling a US$6
billion Qatar order for 50 Airbus A320neos, an unprecedented move by a
manufacturer.
Qatar says the paint on the recently delivered Airbus A350s was
cracking and peeling, exposing copper meshing used to insulate the
aircraft against lightning strike.
The company released a video last week to support its claim. It
showed damage to the paint on the A350 aircraft, although Airbus claims
it is not a safety risk.
Qatar is seeking more than US$600 million in compensation after grounding 21 of its 53 A350 jets affected by the paint issue.
In a statement, Airbus said it terminated the contract for 50 A321s
with Qatar Airways and this would mean that other airlines will move up
the delivery position.
Qatar currently has 32 A320 series in service, due to be replaced by the new planes in 2024.