2021

• January - A350 sent to Toulouse with reports of cracks

  A7-ALL was sent to Shannon, Ireland, to receive a world cup livery in November 2020. By the end of the year, the aircraft hadn't returned to Qatar. Instead, the four-year-old jet ended up being sent to Airbus in Toulouse with reports of issues found under the paintwork. At the time, Airbus described these as "irregularities on the surface coating. The issue is superficial/cosmetic and only visible when the top coat of paint is stripped."
  

  

  Photo: Clément Alloing

  Qatar Airways A350 Sent To Toulouse With Reports Of Cracks

• February 2nd - Lufthansa sends its oldest A350s to Toulouse to be repainted

  After four years in operation, Lufthansa began sending its three oldest A350s to Toulouse to be repainted. This stood out at the carrier is more than capable of repainting aircraft in-house. It has since transpired that the work was carried out by Airbus under warranty.

  After 4 Years Lufthansa Begins Repainting Its Airbus A350 Fleet

• May 31st - Qatar threatens to halt Airbus deliveries

  At the end of May, Qatar Airways threatened to stop taking delivery of all aircraft produced by Airbus. The airline's CEO revealed that this was due to an outstanding issue with the manufacturer, but refused to clarify what the issue was. At this point, Al Baker was already indicating that the relationship between the two wasn't looking good.

  Qatar Airways CEO Threatens To Stop Taking Airbus Deliveries

• June 8th - Qatar Airways confirms Airbus delivery halt

  Around a week after threatening to stop taking delivery of new Airbus aircraft, the airline's CEO, Akbar Al Baker revealed that he was following through with his threat. At this point, the airline also indicated that the row was to do with the condition of the plane underneath the paintwork.
  

  

  Photo: Frederic Lancelot - Master Films via Airbus

  Photo: Airbus

  Qatar Airways Stops Taking A350 Deliveries As Airbus Row Drags On

• August 5th - Qatar Airways grounds 13 A350s

  At the start of August, Qatar Airways began taking things to the next level grounding 13 of its Airbus A350 aircraft. The action was reportedly undertaken in compliance with the advice of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. Al Baker accused Airbus of ignoring a serious problem with the A350s.

  Qatar Airways Grounds 13 A350s Due To Surface Issues

• August 10th - EASA not concerned about airworthiness

  EASA confirmed that it has been aware of Qatar Airways' A350 issues since late 2020, and had been working with Airbus and the airline to determine if there was a risk to the type's airworthiness. At the time the body told Simple Flying,
  

  "EASA is not intending to take any action as State of Design for this issue at this time. No other airlines have reported paint and protection damage."

  EASA Not Intending To Act On Qatar's A350 Grounding Yet

• August 10th - Singapore not seeing surface degradation

  On the same day that EASA confirmed it wasn't concerned that the Qatar Airways issue was an airworthiness issue, Singapore Airlines revealed that it hadn't been experiencing any of the issues seen by the Qatari flag carrier on its Airbus A350 fleet.

  Singapore Airlines Not Experiencing A350 Surface Degradation

• November 5th - Qatar Airways brings back the Airbus A380

  To plug the gaps left by its grounded Airbus A350s, Qatar Airways revealed that half of its Airbus A380 fleet would be returning to service. Having previously called ordering the giant aircraft a mistake, Akbar Al Baker said that the decision to bring the A380 back was made reluctantly.
  

  

  Photo: M101Studio / Shutterstock.com

  Photo: M101Studio / Shutterstock.com

  Qatar Airways Is 'Reluctantly' Bringing The Airbus A380 Back

• November 29th - More airlines have paint issues

  A report by Reuters reveals that more airlines have been affected by paint issues on the Airbus A350. The report mentions Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Etihad (who hasn't even flown the jet commercially yet), and Air Caraibes as experiencing cosmetic damage to the paintwork on their A350s.

  A New Layer To The A350 Paint Saga: More Airlines Raise Concerns

• December 9th - Airbus seeks a legal assessment

  While Qatar Airways alleges that the issue affects the aircraft's safety, Airbus has maintained that the damage is purely cosmetic. The European planemaker revealed that it was seeking an independent legal assessment of the issue. While not naming Qatar Airways, Airbus commented that "The attempt by this customer to misrepresent this specific topic as an airworthiness issue represents a threat to the international protocols on safety matters."

  Airbus Seeks Legal Assessment In A350 Paint Saga

• December 11th - The UK Government gets involved

  Days after Airbus revealed that it was seeking a legal assessment of the issue, the UK's Investment Minister, Gerry Grimstone, offered to mediate between the two parties to avoid legal actions and a further deterioration of relations. While likely well-intentioned, it appears that Grimstone's offer failed.

  UK's Investment Minister Offers To Mediate Between Airbus And Qatar Airways

• December 21st - Qatar begins legal proceedings

  A week or so later it became clear that Grimstone's attempt to avoid legal action had failed. On December 20th, Qatar Airways issued legal proceedings against Airbus at the Technology and Construction division of the High Court in London.
  

  

  Photo: Alexandre Doumenjou - Master Films via Airbus
   

  Photo: Alexandre Doumenjou - Master Films via Airbus

  Qatar Airways Issues A350 Legal Proceedings Against Airbus At London High Court

2022

• January 6th - Qatar seeks over $600m in damages from Airbus

  Following a court filing, the extent of the Qatar Airways claim was revealed. The airline is seeking $618 million in damages from Airbus. In addition, the airline is seeking an extra $4 million for each day that one of its A350s remains grounded. This would equate to the 2018 list price of an Airbus A350-900 every 80 days.

  Qatar Airways Seeks Over $600m In Damages From Airbus

• January 21st - Airbus cancels 50 A321neo orders

  As the row continued to escalate, it was revealed that Airbus had pulled the plug on an unrelated Airbus A321 order for 50 aircraft that Qatar Airways had committed to. The manufacturer said that the order was canceled in accordance with its rights.

  Qatar Airways' A321neo Order Canceled By Airbus Amid A350 Dispute

• January 21st - Qatar Airways retaliates with unseen videos of damage

  In retaliation to Airbus' order cancelation, Qatar Airways decided to release a video showing the damage that its Airbus A350 fleet had experienced. This was the first time that either party had revealed the extent of the damage that was being seen.
  

  

  Photo: Qatar Airways via YouTube

  Photo: Qatar Airways via YouTube

  Qatar Airways Releases Video Of Airbus A350 Damage

• January 31st - Qatar Airways places a huge Boeing order

  Following the cancelation of its A321 order, Qatar Airways placed an order with Airbus' rival Boeing. The order was for up to 100 aircraft, including 50 Boeing 737 MAXs to replace the A321s. The carrier had been looking to place a new freighter order. While the race seemed head and head between Airbus and Boeing last summer, there was really no choice for Qatar Airways at this point as it placed the first order for the Boeing 777X freighter, committing to up to 50 aircraft.

  Qatar Airways Signs For Up To 100 Boeing 777X Freighters & 737 MAXs

• February 8th - Airbus cancels 2 Airbus A350 orders

  Airbus released its January 2022 order books in early February. As spotted by Reuters, the updated books showed that Qatar Airways' A350 orders had dropped by two.

  Airbus Cancels Two Of Qatar Airways' A350 Orders As Row Drags On

• February 19th - Temporary injunction blocks A321neo order cancelation

  A judge ordered that Airbus should stop "any practical impact" of the A321neo order cancelation. This essentially means that the planemaker isn't allowed to offer the aircraft to other airlines. However, the injunction is currently only a temporary measure until the decision can be properly assessed at a court hearing scheduled for April.
  

  

  Photo: Airbus

  Photo: Airbus

  Airbus Cancelation Of Qatar Airways A321neo Order Put On Hold

• February 28th - Airbus asks for $220 million in damages

  Airbus asked a high court judge to award it $220 million worth of damages for two A350 aircraft which were not accepted for delivery by Qatar Airways. Airbus suggested in court that Qatar Airways and the Qatari regulator "wrongfully colluded or conspired and/or otherwise acted together in bad faith in relation to the groundings."

  Airbus Asks Judge For $220m In Damages Over Qatar A350 Case

• March 22nd - Qatar Airways disputes Airbus' $220m claim

  Qatar Airways has disputed that it is liable for Airbus' damages claim worth $220 million for not taking delivery of two A350s. The airline argued that it had not broken its contract with the planemaker, and that Airbus had not revealed how it arrived at the $220 million figure.

  Qatar Airways Disputes $220m Fee For Not Taking 2 Airbus A350s

• March 30th - Qatar Airways says paint issue could lead to fires

  In court documents released as part of the Qatar Airways Airbus feud, the airline cited a safety assessment published by EASA in April 2021. The airline is concerned that paint degradation could lead to the lightning mesh being damaged over the aircraft's fuel tanks, potentially leading to a fire in a worst-case scenario.

  Qatar Airways Says A350 Paint Issue Could Lead To Fuel Tank Fires

• April 4th - Airbus cancels a third A350 order

  Qatar Airways is refusing to take delivery of new Airbus A350 aircraft until its current concerns have been addressed to its satisfaction. This led to a third A350 not being taken by the carrier. As a result of the refused delivery, Airbus canceled the order according to reports.
  

  

  Photo: Jean-Vincent Reymondon via Airbus

  Photo: Jean-Vincent Reymondon via Airbu

  More Cancelations: Airbus Deletes Another Qatar Airways A350 Order

• April 26th - Court rejects A321neo cancelation injunction

  Ruling that the Airbus A350 and A321neo orders are covered by a cross-default clause, a court ruled that Qatar Airways' Airbus A350 refusal was valid grounds for canceling the A321neo order. As such, Airbus is allowed to offer the slots reserved by Qatar Airways to other customers. The decision doesn't stop Qatar Airways from challenging the action at a full trial in the future.

  Court Rejects Qatar Airways Request To Block A321neo Order Cancelation

• May 26th - High Court approves an expedited trial

  The High Court in London ruled on the initial case between Airbus and Qatar Airways. The case will be expedited in the public interest. It has been set for a three-month period in Summer 2023. Both sides were happy that the matter can proceed, though Airbus would sill rather reach a solution out of court.

  New Developments In Airbus-Qatar Airways Legal Battle See Procedural Claims Dismissed

• May 31st - Airbus & Qatar Airways respond to the court ruling

  Airbus and Qatar Airways both responded to the High Court's ruling. Qatar Airways said that it was pleased with the outcome, while Airbus called the airline's response a "complete mischaracterization of the UK High Court ruling", pointing out that Qatar Airways was ordered to pay 97% of Airbus' costs.

  Qatar Airways And Airbus Remain At Odds Over A350 Case

• June 21st - Airbus remains in talks with Qatar Airways

  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.
  

  

  Photo: Ryan Fletcher / Shutterstock.com

  Photo: Ryan Fletcher / Shutterstock.com

  Airbus Is In Talks With Qatar Airways Over A350 Saga

• August 3rd - Airbus might cancel Qatar Airways' remaining A350s

  Airbus is understood to have canceled the remaining 19 Airbus A350-1000s due to going to Qatar Airways. The news was first reported by Reuters based on industry sources and subsequently confirmed to Simple Flying by an anonymous source.

  Airbus Could Be Canceling Qatar Airways' Outstanding A350 Order

• September 8th - Airbus confirms all Qatar Airways A350 orders canceled

  Airbus confirmed that it had revoked all remaining Airbus A350 orders from Qatar Airways. This is the latest escalation of the safety and contractual dispute between the Gulf carrier and the European manufacturer. Qatar Airways had 19 outstanding A350-1000 orders.

  Airbus Removes Qatar Airways' Outstanding A350s From The Order Book

• December 16th - Qatar Airways wants other A350 settlements disclosed

  Qatar Airways has urged Airbus to disclose its communications with other airlines regarding commercial support or settlements in relation to repairs over issues similar to the surface degradation of A350s that the airline is reporting. With the court case ongoing, the flag carrier of Qatar highlights that it is concerned that the manufacturer is avoiding the disclosure of such documents.

  Qatar Airways Questions Airbus Settlement Secrecy As A350 Trial Continues

• December 17th - A judge decides to split the trial

  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.

  Airbus & Qatar Airways Paint Trial To Be Split

2023

• January 19th - Airbus changes the A350's design

  Airbus has changed the components used in its A350 fuselage amid the ongoing legal dispute with Qatar Airways. The European planemaker is now using a different copper foil as the layering in new deliveries since late last year. The decision to use a new design has been noted as significant, despite Airbus claiming the original design remains safe.
  

  

  Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

  Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

  Airbus Makes Design Changes To A350 In Middle Of Qatar Airways Dispute

• January 20th - The court demands A350 grounding evidence from Qatar Airways

  Qatar Airways has been given a deadline of 13 weeks to produce correspondence between itself and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) relating to the grounding of the Airbus A350. Qatar Airways has always maintained that the QCAA has forced its hand on the A350 issue, revoking Airworthiness Review Certificates on 22 aircraft and effectively grounding them from operations.

  UK Court Demands Qatar Airways Produce Evidence Of QCAA Grounding Airbus A350s

• February 1st - Airbus & Qatar Airways settle the dispute with an undisclosed agreement

  Qatar Airways and Airbus have come to an amicable settlement to their ongoing legal drama regarding Airbus A350 paint degradation. The dispute has been bubbling up for almost two years, ending up in the High Court in London.

  Airbus & Qatar Airways Settle Airbus A350 Legal Drama