This article is part of a directory: The Qatar Airbus A350 Paint Conflict: A Timeline Of Events
Table of contents

  • rsz_airbus_50th_years_anniversary_formation_flight_-_air_to_air
    Airbus
    Stock Code:
    AIR
    Date Founded:
    1970-12-18
    CEO:
    Guillaume Faury
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Key Product Lines:
    Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380
    Business Type:
    Planemaker

Qatar Airways’ feud with Airbus has set several precedents over the last year. Both sides have engaged in a very public dispute that has seen safety issues raised, orders being canceled, and hundreds of millions being asked in claims. With the courts now being involved, the case could potentially drag on for quite some time. But Airbus has not severed talks with Qatar over the issue. Could this eventually lead to an out-of-court settlement?

Communication not broken

The bitter dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways is nowhere close to being resolved and has only intensified over time. What started out as a paint issue on one jet has now taken the shape of something far bigger than both sides could have imagined.

But behind all the public disagreement, the communication link between the planemaker and the carrier has not been broken. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual IATA meeting in Doha that they are in constant touch with the airline, and while an immediate solution may not be in sight, their business relationship has not shattered. He said,

“We have been in discussion (and) the line of communication has never been broken between us and Qatar Airways. I am not suggesting it’s easy...but we’re speaking to each other and we continue to support Qatar Airways in their operations.”

A350-900 Qatar Airways MSN214 take off (1)
Flights between the Middle East and India are quite expensive these days. Photo: Airbus

Snowballing dispute

The A350 paint saga has added several layers, with both sides locking horns for over a year. While Airbus has agreed to flaws in its paint job, it refuses to believe that the issue poses any safety threat to the airliner. The claim is also backed by the European regulator EASA.

On the other hand, Qatar Airways feels that Airbus is merely treating the symptom of the problem and not removing the root cause. The dispute has seen the carrier ground more than 20 airplanes and refuse any further deliveries of the type.

Follow Simple Flying for all the latest aviation news.

Qatar is seeking more than $1 billion in damages, with Airbus, too, asking for hundreds of millions in compensation. With the court battle turning ugly, Airbus realizes it’s in a difficult situation, with Faury saying they are really willing to find a way out.

No easy solution

Both Airbus and Qatar realize the financial toll of a lengthy court battle. The airline found some success when the court ruled that Airbus had no long-term fixes relating to the issues being seen on its planes and that current proposals only addressed damage rather than the root cause. But it also sided with Airbus by rejecting Qatar’s procedural claims and injunctions.

Still, Airbus believes that both parties are willing to hold discussions to explore any possibility of ending the feud out of court. Faury commented,

“There’s progress in the sense that we are communicating; we are working with each other. I think we share the view that a settlement would be a better way forward, but as long as you don’t have an agreement, you have no agreement.”

Can the ongoing communications lead to any solution? Only time will tell!

How do you think the dispute will play out? Do you feel Airbus and Qatar find a solution outside the courtroom? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Source: Reuters