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Qatar Airways files lawsuit against Airbus over A350 skin-paint flaws

Date: December 22, 2021 Sunil Jha Sunil Jha
Qatar Airways files lawsuit against Airbus over A350 skin-paint flaws 
Qatar Airways, the flag carrier of the nation of Qatar, has reportedly filed a lawsuit in London court against airplane manufacturer, Airbus, over 'skin defects' on A350 passenger jets, moving the two companies closer to a rare legal battle over aviation safety.



The firms have been at odds for months concerning damage, notably the corrosion of a sub-layer of lightning protection, as well as peeled paint and rusting, which Qatar Airways states has led to the suspension of over 21 of its A350 passenger jets by the nation’s aviation regulator.



Notwithstanding some ‘surface degradation’, Airbus claims that the carbon-composite passenger jets are safe to operate. However, Qatar Airways argues that it is too early to judge if safety has been affected.



Last week, Airbus confronted the gulf airline of framing the issue as a safety concern, threatening to seek an independent legal examination in what experts described as an unprecedented action. Qatar Airways retaliated on Monday, announcing that it has moved its case against Airbus to London’s High Court.



Qatar Airways claims that its concerns are valid and that the court proceedings would guarantee that Airbus addresses them as soon as possible.



The airline further stated that it is convinced that Airbus is liable carry out a detailed investigation to address this situation in order to ultimately determine its root cause. Qatar Airways would not be able to establish whether any recommended repairs would solve the underlying issue without the complete knowledge of where the problem lies.



According to the statement, the carrier's top priority is safety.



Airbus states that it has proposed a variety of solutions to Qatar Airways, which have all been rejected by the airline for no apparent reason. It also acknowledged that it has received the airline's legal claim.



The plane manufacturer stated that it is currently analyzing the contents of the allegation. Airbus wants to defend its position fiercely.



Source credit: https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/qatar-airways-takes-airbus-to-london-court-over-paint-job-1.1640060605462

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Sunil Jha

Sunil Jha has been a part of the content industry for close to two years. Having previously worked as a voice over artist and sportswriter, he now focuses on writing articles for newsorigins.com, across a slew of topics, ranging from technology to trade and finance. With a business-oriented educational background, Sunil brings forth the expertise of deep-dive research and a strategic approach in his write ups.