Aviation
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Asia
in painting
Qatar Airways is no longer the only airline to worry about painting the A350
Rafael Ramos
11/30/2021
The painting of the Airbus A350, the most modern aircraft from the European manufacturer, has caused concern at Qatar Airways for a few months. However, other companies, which operate under the most differentiated weather conditions, also pointed out problems – some complaints are more than five years old.
Only Qatar Airways has been talking about the problem, but Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Lufthansa and Air France have also complained about this premature wear. Airbus said there is no risk to the safety of the flights, as the problem is only aesthetic. He also said that, as it is an aesthetic problem, the operator is responsible, not the manufacturer.
Airbus A350 paint flaw
image: Reuters
“We didn't see any effect on the structure of the aircraft and operators continue to fly with high levels of operational reliability,” said Chief Engineer of the A350 program, Miguel Ángel Llorca Sanz. “It doesn't affect lightning protection due to the large [safety] margins. It's not an airworthiness issue,” he added.
Also in June, Qatar Airways announced that it would suspend its fleet of A350 model aircraft, as well as deliveries of the 23 remaining units, until Airbus resolved the defect. What's more, reports say the problem goes beyond simple wear and tear on the paintwork, causing more violent corrosion than Airbus had said.
After being contacted by Reuters, this time, Airbus said that the initial wear of the paint made the mesh undercoat, which serves to absorb rays, to become visible and that it is working to fix the defect.
Airbus Paint Flaw
Image: Reuters
Airbus A350 paint flaw
image: Reuters
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Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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