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Qatar Airways challenges US$220 million fee for refusing to accept 2 new Airbus A350s
Airbus A350-1000
Qatar Airways
EA Lover, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Ramos
3/23/2022
After Qatar Airways refused to take delivery of two A350s because of paintwork problems, Airbus sought compensation worth $220 million for the aircraft that were ready to be delivered.
Qatar is now claiming this challenge, claiming it has not breached any contracts, and the airline says Airbus has not provided details of how it arrived at that figure.
Qatar's order for 50 A321neo units was also canceled by Airbus.
Since Qatar discovered the problem with the paintwork of the A350, which degrades quickly, 22 aircraft of its fleet of 53 units of the model have already been grounded.
Both Airbus and EASA, the European Union's Aviation Safety Agency, say the issue does not affect the plane's airworthiness.
However, the paint degrades to the point where the protective ray layer just below is exposed. Qatar says this could leave the aircraft vulnerable to damage in the event of a lightning strike.
Other airlines also had the problem, albeit in a less severe form, such as Etihad and Air France.
The next stage of the process will not take place until April, when a hearing is due to take place in the UK to resolve the issue of the canceled A321neo order.
Gary Loparter/Unsplash
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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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