Airbus has revoked the contract for a third A350 ordered by Qatar Airways after the Gulf carrier rejected delivery in an ongoing dispute over damage to the surface of the long-haul jets, two people familiar with the matter said, Reuters reported.
The number of A350s grounded by the airline in the dispute over exposed and damaged lightning protection has reached 23, bringing the value of compensation sought by the carrier to slightly over $1 billion, they said.
→ Airbus agrees to largest wage increase in France in 20 years.
The two sides have wrangled for more than a year over accelerated surface damage that the airline says raises questions over the safety of the planes, with Qatar’s regulator grounding jets as the problem appears.
Airbus, backed by its own regulator, has denied any safety problems and responded to Qatar’s refusal to take any more A350s until the problem is resolved by revoking deals for undelivered A350s, one by one, and axing a separate contract for A321neos.
Qatar Airways will on Thursday ask a UK judge to extend a temporary order freezing the decision to cancel the A321neo order pending a final hearing on the A350 case, expected later this year.
Bloomberg News reported earlier that Airbus planned to delay a planned increase in A350 production because of the combined impact of the Ukraine war and the Qatar dispute.
Foto: Juke Schweizer/Wikimedia
Related Topics
Avianca Strengthens Cross-Border Network: Launches Daily Flights Between Bogotá and Maracaibo, Venezuela
LATAM to Expand International Connectivity With New Direct Route Between Santiago de Chile and Salvador de Bahia
Copa Airlines Resumes Caracas Flights in September Following Earthquakes
Aerolíneas Argentinas Boosts International Network With Two New Southern Summer Destinations: Curaçao and Cartagena
Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.