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By Chinelo Obogo
Qatar Airways has sued Airbus in a London court over issues with the airline’s fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft. The airline’s legal action relates to the dispute it has been having with the European aircraft manufacturer over the degradation of surface and paint on some of its A350 aircraft.
Qatar Airways said in a statement that it has grounded 21 of its Airbus A350s due to “accelerated surface degradation” of the aircraft which the airline said is “adversely impacting” its operations. Responding to Qatar Airways legal action, Airbus says it’s in the process of analysing the contents of the claim, saying that it intends to “vigorously defend” its position as the defendant.
Responding, Qatar Airways said: “We strongly believe that Airbus must undertake a thorough investigation of this condition to conclusively establish its full root cause. Without a proper understanding of the root cause of the condition, it is not possible for Qatar Airways to establish whether any proposed repair solution will rectify the underlying condition. Qatar Airways’ number one priority remains the safety of its passengers and crew.”
With 34 A350-900s and 19 A350-1000s in its fleet, Qatar Airways is currently the world’s second largest Airbus A350 operator, after Singapore Airlines. The Doha-based airline was the launch customer for the A350-900 in 2014, as well as the A350-1000 in 2018.
