Airbus raises stakes in paint dispute with Qatar Airways

Airbus has escalated a long-running dispute with one of its largest customers, saying it will seek an independent legal assessment of claims by Qatar Airways about the quality of surfaces on its A350 widebody aircraft. The European aeroplane maker did not name the Qatari carrier, but referred to recent claims about the quality of the paint and other surface issues on the A350. Akbar Al Baker, CE of Qatar Airways, has repeatedly hit out at Airbus over the issue, saying last month that it was a “serious matter, we don’t know if it is an airworthiness issue, we also don’t know that it is not an airworthiness issue”. The airline operates 53 A350s, although 20 of the jets have been grounded on the instructions of the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority. Qatar has another 23 on order but has halted further deliveries during the dispute. Singapore Airlines is the biggest operator of the A350. Airbus has maintained that the surface-degradation issues are non-structural, an assessment that has been backed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. “The attempt by this customer to misrepresent this specific topic as an airworthiness issue represents a threat to the international protocols on safety matters,” the company said on Thursday. Airbus said it regretted the decision but insisted it had become “necessary to defend its position and reputation”, adding that the A350 was performing well in service. The company said it was also working to “re-establish a constructive dialogue with its customer on this matter but is not willing to accept inaccurate statements of this kind to continue”.<br/>