A UK court has split the Qatar Airways and Airbus paint case following a hearing on Friday. The trial is set to begin in June next year but will take longer than previously expected. Let's take a closer look at what this all means below.

Qatar Airways-Airbus case to be split

At a hearing in London yesterday, UK High Court Judge David Waksman ordered the multi-billion Qatar Airways and Airbus trial to be split into two parts due to the high degree of complexity involved. In May, the court ruled in favor of an expedited trial, which would have seen a roughly three-month-long trial take place next summer, but will now conduct the case in two parts which could see the trial run through to 2024.

As reported by FlightGlobal, Airbus said,

"Splitting the proceedings consistently with Airbus’ proposal would allow the matters that justified the order for expedition still to be tried in June 2023. It would also allow other matters…that are less pressing to be tried following the proper process of disclosure and preparation of factual and expert evidence, which is impossible to fit within the current timetable."

For those unaware of what this Airbus-Qatar Airways conflict is all about, here's a quick refresher: essentially, Qatar Airways is seeking compensation for paint deterioration on its Airbus A350 fleet, which Airbus has admitted to, but claims is not a serious issue.

The Middle Eastern carrier first raised its concerns in January 2021 before the two parties, previously close partners, saw their relationship sour rapidly. Airbus in turn launched counterclaims for damages after canceling orders with the Qatari airline.

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So what will happen now?

Now that the trial has been split it is expected to drag on for at least another year. The first part of the trial, set to begin in June 2023, will tackle liability, while the combined claims section will be addressed later.

However, there could yet be a dramatic turn of events in the case, at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha of all places. With France making it through to the final on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron is in Qatar and was greeted at the airport by Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker. There are hopes that informal talks over the next few days could bring more amiability and cooperation to one of the industry's most high-profile disputes.

A word from Qatar Airways

A spokesperson from the airline sent Simple Flying the following statement:

"Qatar Airways’ applications in this CMC sought to address the asymmetry of information caused by the fact that Airbus, the manufacturer of the A350, has failed to provide key technical information relating to the defect which is necessary for conclusive analysis as to the root cause. We were pleased that the judge agreed with our applications and ordered the information be provided quickly to ensure the key issues are properly addressed by the independent experts. In a trial of this scale, bifurcation is not unusual and therefore it was not unexpected that the Judge ruled on this. The split of quantum issues was a compromise between both side’s preferences and we are pleased that this will ensure the key technical issues are the focus of the summer trial.”

Do you see this saga ending within the next 12 months? Who do you believe has the stronger case? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: FlightGlobal

• 

  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

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  QR/QTR

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Doha Hamad International Airport

  Year Founded:

  1993

  Alliance:

  oneworld

  CEO:

  Akbar Al Baker

  Country:

  Qatar