European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has revoked all remaining orders for A350 aircraft from Qatar Airways, according to Reuters. The decision marks a surprising new twist in the dispute between the two companies since the Qatari airline claimed that paint on the new airplanes was peeling and exposing the material underneath.
Following the complaint about the condition of the aircraft, Qatar Airways grounded 21 Airbus A350s that the carrier said could pose a risk to passengers. In addition, it suspended the 23 deliveries that were still pending. However, the manufacturer has always maintained that the aircraft are completely safe.
The airline is currently claiming compensation of at least 1.4 billion dollars, for what it considers «a design defect» that could affect lightning strike protection. For Airbus, however, this is only «an aesthetic problem».
In this context, Qatar Airways is refusing to take delivery of any more aircraft until it has an explanation that it considers adequate. According to the company, the degradation of the paint «puts at risk the underlying structure», which could be affected by mechanical or environmental factors.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which regulates the aviation industry in the European Union, backed Airbus’ position and said it had «found no evidence» that the Airbus A350’s paint shortcomings represented a safety problem.
The dispute also impacted the Airbus A321neo backlog. In January, the manufacturer unilaterally revoked an order for 50 aircraft in response to the refusal to accept the A350s and Qatar Airways’ claim against it in the High Court of London.
Airbus declared the contract breached by Qatar Airways’ refusal to accept the A350s pending resolution of the substantive issue. It therefore enforced a clause in the A321neo agreement on the grounds that the two orders were linked. A month later, the airline asked the court to order the manufacturer to deliver the aircraft as stipulated.
Qatar Airways was initially supposed to have a fleet of up to 74 Airbus A350s. Of that total, 34 would be A350-900s and the remaining 40 would be the larger A350-1000. However, 21 deliveries of the latter variant are still pending. It now appears that they will not materialise.
Should the move go ahead, the airline would only have firm orders with Airbus’ biggest competitor, American manufacturer Boeing. Qatar Airways recently confirmed orders for the 737 MAX 10 and the 777X. Thus, a new chapter of a novel that does not seem to have a definitive solution in sight is inscribed.
