By Youssef Yahya 
Qatar Airways and Airbus have resolved their legal dispute regarding the paint degradation of the Airbus A350 aircraft. The dispute, which had been ongoing for nearly two years and reached the High Court in London, has come to an amicable settlement. Both parties have released a joint statement regarding the resolution.
“Qatar Airways and Airbus are pleased to have reached an amicable and mutually agreeable settlement in relation to their legal dispute over A350 surface degradation and the grounding of A350 aircraft. A repair project is now underway and both parties look forward to getting these aircraft safely back in the air.“
Repair Project Underway for Affected Aircraft
The statement mentions that a repair project is underway for the affected aircraft and both parties look forward to getting the aircraft back in the air safely. The details of the settlement are confidential and the legal claims will be discontinued by both parties. It is emphasized that the settlement agreement does not imply any admission of liability on either party.
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“The details of the settlement are confidential and the parties will now proceed to discontinue their legal claims. The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability for either party. This agreement will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners.”
The resolution of the court case will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners. The end of the legal dispute comes as a relief for both parties, who had suffered reputational damage due to the ongoing court case and questions of influence over regulators. The statement does not mention the reinstatement of canceled aircraft orders, but it is implied that it will happen now that the legal dispute has been resolved.
What about the canceled orders?
The first step in this process will be the reinstatement of the previously canceled orders for airplanes. Back in January 2021, Qatar’s court filing resulted in the cancellation of the airline’s order for 50 Airbus A321neos, which led to the airline turning to Boeing for its narrow-body needs.
In response to the court filing, Airbus also removed outstanding Airbus A350 orders by Qatar from its order books. The reason for this was reportedly due to Qatar’s repeated refusal of deliveries.
Orders Reinstated for 50 A321neos and 23 Airbus A350s
Both Airbus and Qatar have confirmed to Simple Flying that these orders will now be reinstated. This adds a backlog of 50 A321neos and 23 Airbus A350s to the order book and will result in deliveries to the airline beginning again soon.
The resolution of the court case and the reinstatement of the airplane orders marks a positive step forward for both Airbus and Qatar Airways. They can now move ahead as partners and look forward to a bright future.
Qatar Airways and Airbus: Moving Forward as Partners
Despite any current tensions between Airbus and Qatar Airways, the two companies will need to work together to resolve the issue with the Airbus A350 paint degradation. Qatar Airways has 43 of these aircraft in its fleet, with 22 currently grounded by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) due to damage to the paintwork.
In order for these aircraft to be put back into service, they will need to be repaired, likely at a cost to Airbus. Other operators with less severe paint cracking have already had their aircraft treated, which usually involves repainting the planes.
Confidence Restoration between Qatar Airways and Airbus
To prevent similar issues in the future, Airbus has been installing a new type of copper foil on some of its newly produced aircraft. This modification not only reduces the weight of the aircraft, but also helps to prevent paint cracking.
The resolution of this issue is important for both Airbus and Qatar Airways, and they will need to work together to ensure that the affected A350s are repaired and returned to service. This will help to restore confidence in both companies and ensure a bright future for their partnership.
What do you think about this resolution? Let us know in the comments.
Read the full story: Qatar Airways vs. Airbus: The Ongoing Dispute over A350 Paint Issues
- Featured image by Ramon Jordi
- SIMPLE FLYING
Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’
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Mohammed Rizwan