Aviation
Commercial /
Europe
Security at risk?
Qatar Airways says A350 paint flaws could cause fire
Airbus A350-1000
Qatar Airways
EA Lover, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Ramos
3/31/2022
Qatar says that if the A350's paint failure is on the wing, the fuel tanks could be more vulnerable to friction with air or other fluids, which could cause the tank to overheat and cause a fire.
According to Qatar, another risk is the plane's lightning protection, which could be compromised, contributing to the risk of a fire in the tank. Airbus says the paint problem does not cause any safety compromises.
These claims are contained in the legal documents that Qatar sent against Airbus and were revealed by the Bloomberg news agency. The argument will be heard in a court in London next month.
22 of Qatar's 53 A350s have already been grounded because of the problem.
In addition, Airbus chose to unilaterally cancel the delivery of 50 A321neo to Qatar, which generated another legal dispute between the companies. The dispute is expected to be resolved by a judge next week. Any delay on the A321, should the order be reinstated, is due to Airbus' own inability to meet demand, Qatar Airways said.
“Qatar Airways and Airbus have worked together for over 20 years. I am confident that the relationship will remain strong and will continue despite these proceedings,” said Krunoslav Krajacevic, one of Qatar's leaders.
Ken Yam/Unsplah
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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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