Qatar Airways begins action against Airbus in London’s High Court

Qatar Airways said it had begun legal action against Airbus in London’s High Court in an effort to resolve an impasse over the quality of surface issues on its A350 widebody aircraft. “We have sadly failed in all our attempts to reach a constructive solution with Airbus in relation to the accelerated surface degradation condition adversely impacting the Airbus A350 aircraft,” the Gulf carrier said. “Qatar Airways has therefore been left with no alternative but to seek a rapid resolution of this dispute via the courts,” it added. The decision to launch the legal action in the technology and construction division of the High Court is the latest salvo in a long-running dispute between the carrier and the European plane maker that dates back to the end of last year. Qatar had sent an A350 jet to Ireland to be painted in a livery for the forthcoming football World Cup in the Gulf state. Some abnormalities were found under the original paint when it was stripped off ahead of the application of the new colour scheme. The airline operates 34 A350-900s and 19 A350-1000s. It has grounded 21 of its jets on the orders of its aviation regulator. It also has another 23 on order but has halted further deliveries during the dispute. Airbus has consistently maintained that the surface-degradation issues are non-structural, an assessment that has been backed by the EU Aviation Safety Agency.<br/>