Aviation
Commercial /
Asia
relationship shaken
Problems between Airbus and Qatar Airways could hamper airline operations
Airbus A350-1000
Qatar Airways
EA Lover, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Ramos
12/14/2021
Problems recently encountered in painting the Airbus A350 by Qatar (and other airlines) have created difficulties for the company as some A350 units have been grounded. The problem affects the commercial relationship of the companies, in which Qatar claims it would be difficult to do business again.
After Airbus announced last week that it had tried peaceful solutions to resolve the issues with Qatar, but without success, it is now seeking legal advice to resolve the case, which has been extensively analyzed by regulators and does not affect the plane's safety.
Gary Loparter/Unsplash
Qatar Airways claims that the paint has deteriorated so much that it leaves the underlying surface exposed to mechanical and environmental factors. Accordingly, Qatar has asked Airbus to admit there are manufacturing problems and to fix them.
In an interview with Danny Lee of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker commented on the matter.
“We can always let the water run under the bridge and move on. With Airbus, the damage is very serious. I don't know how we can get back to working with them again,” said Al Baker about the business relationship between the companies.
In addition, Qatar Airways is expected to land more A350 units, while the CEO accuses Airbus of having destroyed the good commercial relationship that existed between the companies.
Qatar has a fleet of 53 A350s, 20 of which have already been grounded because of the problem. The original order was for 76 units, however, the remainder of deliveries has been suspended. Al Baker expressed concern about the aircraft that are still flying and that have not yet had the problem. "[Hopefully] this condition doesn't deteriorate further in other aircraft that are already flying, some of which are already showing signs of development."
Airbus Paint Flaw
Image: Reuters
To make up for the shortage of the A350, Qatar would resort to leasing other aircraft. At least four Boeing 777 units would come from Cathay Pacific.
When talking about the cargo version of the A350, Al Baker said he would rule out his purchase because of the problems. In his place, he would purchase the Boeing 777XF (as soon as it is released).
Boeing 777X
Image: Boeing
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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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