According to a Reuters story, the newest development in the continuing legal dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways is that Europe’s aviation regulator has stated that there is no proof that the paint or surface deterioration on A350 jets poses a safety problem.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), however, admitted that numerous airlines’ jets had quality issues.
In a statement sent to AeroTime via email, EASA reaffirmed its stance.
A legal dispute involving paint or surface deterioration on Airbus A350 aircraft is currently dividing the company from Qatar Airways.
In late January 2021, Qatar Airways filed a lawsuit against Airbus for the deterioration of the fuselage surface on its A350 aircraft, claiming more than $600 million in damages. With 53 A350s in its fleet, Qatar Airways claims to have had to drop a total of 22 planes from the daily schedule.
Airbus attempted to cancel a separate deal to deliver 50 A321neo planes that Qatar Airways had ordered as punishment. However, a British court temporarily froze this judgment.
The High Court of Justice in London gave Airbus permission to stop assembling A321neo airplanes for the Gulf airline, albeit, in late April 2022.
The case will be tried under an expedited procedure in the summer of 2023, the High Court of London ruled on May 26, 2022.
“Qatar Airways is ready to see this matter through to trial to ensure that its rights are protected and that Airbus is required to address an unprecedented and extremely unique and concerning defect impacting the A350 aircraft type, across the industry and multiple carriers,” Qatar Airways outlined in a statement dated May 31, 2022.
“Qatar Airways remains within its contractual rights to reject delivery of further A350 aircraft whilst the aircraft type suffers from a design defect which has now been acknowledged by the court, and for Airbus to abuse its strength in the market to terminate a separate and unrelated contract for another aircraft type is extremely damaging for our industry,” the carrier added.
