Qatar Airways and Airbus have reached an amicable and mutually agreeable settlement in relation to their legal dispute over A350 surface degradation and the grounding of A350 aircraft.
The companies announced in a statement, “A repair project is now underway, and both parties look forwards to getting these aircraft back in the air safely.
Due to the long-range aircraft’s fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate,” according to Qatar Airways, Airbus A350s have been grounded. The carbon composite fuselage of the A350s, intended to make the twin-aisle aircraft lighter and less expensive to operate by using less jet fuel, has raised concerns for the airline.
Qatar Airways stated in December 2021 that it would be suing Airbus in London over the “accelerated surface deterioration” of the wide-body A350. Following this, the European aircraft manufacturer canceled Qatar Airways’ multibillion-dollar contract for 50 of its popular A321neo single-aisle, smaller aircraft. The deal for the Airbus 321neos was terminated when Qatar Airways refused to accept any further A350s unless the issue was resolved.
Airbus will now “reintegrate” Qatar’s 50 A321neo orders following the resolution of the dispute, with deliveries expected to begin in 2026, according to Airbus spokesperson Justin Dubon. The 23 A350s that the airline had placed on hold due to the disagreement will also start delivery this year, according to the Toulouse, France-based aircraft manufacturer.
There was no admission of responsibility, and the settlement terms are private. This agreement will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners.
