The end of a long soap opera of more than two years? According to Reuters, Airbus and Qatar Airways are moving towards an agreement to end their dispute over paint problems on A350s, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The two groups are embroiled in a legal battle in this case in which the Doha airline invokes a safety issue while Airbus only acknowledges a cosmetic issue.
Both sources said the tone seemed calmer between the two groups and that negotiations were gaining momentum after an uneventful meeting between the two sides and their respective representatives in Doha last week.
“There will be an agreement,” one of the sources said, while the other warned that discussions were still ongoing.
“There will be an agreement”
Airbus and Qatar Airways did not immediately comment.
Let’s remember that it all started in June 2020 when Qatar Airways announced the immobilization of 23 A350 of its fleet required by the country’s regulator. She says he has observed “cracks, some severe, particularly around windows, exposure of lightning protection, and damage to lightning protection.”
Qatar Airways maintained that this problem could cause a fire in the fuel tanks. Conclusion, flight safety is compromised
Very quickly, the aircraft manufacturer confirmed this wear, which could reveal a metal mesh integrated into the fuselage made of composite materials, but stressed that it was a “cosmetic” problem.
A confirmed explanation last June by EASAEurope’s top aviation regulator, which said it found no evidence that paint or surface erosion on aircraft posed a safety concern.
The European Aviation Safety Agency confirms the position of Airbus
“We inspected the aircraft. We did not see any damage that could imply safety concerns,” said Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
However, in December 2022, Qatar Airways announced that it was suing its supplier in the British courts.
He then demands $200,000 in compensation per plane and per day of immobilization, or about $2.5 billion at this stage. A few days later, in response to this announcement, Airbus cancel a contract apart for the delivery of 50 A321neos.
At the end of January, the two parties denounced before the British courts the obstacles placed by their adversary in the preparation of the trial.
At the same time, Airbus confirmed in Reuters which has used a new type of perforated copper foil (PCF) in the fuselage of these long-haul aircraft since late last year.
This sheet is placed between the paint and the carbon fuselage to ensure the strength of the fuselage in the event of a lightning strike. “PCF is used in the rear parts of aircraft delivered from the end of 2022,” an Airbus spokesperson said.
Although Airbus acknowledges that this modification of the equipment used should solve the problem of peeling paint from the fuselage, it still considers that its old technical approach does not pose a safety problem.
Source: BFM TV
