Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Qatar Airways and Airbus dispute explained in 500 words

Qatar Airways and Airbus dispute explained in 500 words

Qatar Airways is seeking compensation of $618m plus $4m a day after grounding 21 A350s over safety concerns.

Qatar Airways has been locked for months in a legal dispute with Europe’s Airbus manufacturer over “serious and legitimate safety concerns” after a delivery of A350 jets.

Qatar’s state-owned airline is seeking compensation, saying the flawed planes forced it to ground 21 of its fleet of 53 Airbus A350s in both its 1000 and 900 series.

Here are some key facts:

How did the dispute begin?


Qatar’s national carrier raised concerns over the state of its A350s in November 2020 when an attempt to repaint a five-year-old jet in World Cup livery exposed about 980 defects.

According to a Reuters news agency investigation, at least five other airlines, including Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Lufthansa and Air France, raised concerns in 2016 – well before Qatar Airways – but they did not ground their aircraft.

France-based Airbus acknowledged that the flaws needed attention while insisting they were cosmetic issues and did not put safety at risk.

Qatar Airways said Airbus failed to provide a full root-cause analysis needed to satisfy unresolved questions over the airworthiness of the affected jets, including the lightning protection system.

On December 20 last year, Qatar Airways sued Airbus in the UK. The case is due for a hearing in late April.

What are the issues?


The airline’s complaint says the paint on the recently delivered Airbus A350s was cracking and peeling, exposing copper meshing used to insulate the aircraft against lightning strikes.

It published a video on social media on Friday of the scarred exterior of grounded A350 jets.

The clip showed areas of peeling or missing paint, cracks and damage to anti-lightning protection, as well as what the airline described as patches of carbon fibre that were exposed to moisture and potentially damaging ultraviolet light.

The lightweight carbon-fibre jetliner relies on metallic foil embedded beneath the paint to help lightning wash safely over the fuselage, which is less conductive than earlier metal.

The video showed flakes of the copper-mesh anti-lightning system, which is supposed to be fixed to the plane with resin, coming loose when the paint was teased away by a gloved hand.

An undated image shows what appears to be paint peeling, cracking and exposed expanded copper foil on the fuselage of a Qatar Airways A350 aircraft

What is the airline demanding?


Qatar Airways is pressing for compensation of $618m plus $4m a day and has stopped the receipt of 23 more A350s.

Its legal case detailed how the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) had started withdrawing flying permits for individual A350 planes in a series of letters from June 2021.

It said the QCAA told Airbus the aeroplane’s deterioration was “disturbing, if not alarming”.

Airbus has said it will fight the claim, saying there is “no reasonable or rational basis” for the groundings, which have not happened elsewhere.

What is Airbus’s stance?


Airbus says that it is looking at changing the design of the anti-lightning mesh for future A350s, but insists there is adequate backup lightning protection. It says Qatar Airways is undermining global protocols by seeking leverage over safety.

Airbus says it has provided the relevant information and concluded there is no airworthiness risk, a view echoed by Europe’s air regulator.

On Friday, Airbus cancelled a $6bn contract with Qatar Airways for 50 of its new A321neo passenger jets, escalating the legal battle.

A Qatar Airways Airbus A350 plane at Berlin’s airport

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
×