Aviation
Commercial /
Europe
design changes
Airbus started using a copper material in the fuselage of the A350 since last year
Airbus A350
CC BY SA 4.0, via wikimedia commons
Rafael Ramos
1/24/2023
The legal dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways gained another episode, as the widebody A350 started to receive important changes in the layer of protection against lightning.
Airbus switched to a different copper foil for the jet's lightning protection layer in the rear fuselage for deliveries late last year. Instead of an expanded copper sheet (ECF), the European manufacturer adopted snake perforated sheet (PCF) between the painting and the fuselage of the A350.
The change was considered important so that the jet can safely handle lightning and is a key piece in the billionaire legal dispute between the companies, although Airbus defends that the original design is safe.
In addition, Airbus admitted that the new material is lighter and will contribute to the fact that cracks in the paint do not happen anymore.
The European court involved in the legal dispute between the companies has raised concerns and asks the two parties to hand over confidential information about the case for review.
Thus, Airbus needs to disclose the discussions it had on the subject with the other airlines that operate the A350, just as Qatar Airways must reveal its conversations with the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) about the grounding of the jet.
The two companies have already reached an agreement on how to share this confidential data securely. A trial in the case is scheduled to take place in mid-2023 unless a settlement is reached.
Airbus A350-1000
Image: Airbus
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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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