Airbus hopes for amicable solution in deadlocked Qatar dispute

Airbus hopes to reach an amicable solution in a row with Qatar Airways over damage to the surface of A350 passenger jets, CE Guillaume Faury said on Thursday. The companies have been locked in a months-long dispute over paint erosion and deterioration to anti-lightning protection on the long-haul jets, which Airbus has acknowledged need attention while insisting the problems do not put safety at risk. Qatar Airways has sued Airbus for more than $600m and is refusing to take delivery of further A350s until its regulator receives formal analysis of the problem. Airbus has said Qatar Airways has mischaracterized the problem as a safety issue and misinterpreted the contract. Airbus moved recently to revoke contracts for two of the jets and a separate order for 50 smaller A321s. "We had to make the decision to exercise our rights," Faury told a results briefing. "This decision followed many attempts to find mutually beneficial solutions and we continue to hope for an amicable solution." Qatar Airways declined to comment. Both sides have pledged to defend their positions in what is seen as an exceptionally rare public dispute in the secretive planemaking industry. While Faury's remarks left the door open to a negotiated agreement, people familiar with the matter said there were few if any signs of progress in the dispute. Qatar Airways is expected to seek a ruling that would prevent Airbus from cancelling the A321 deal, while Airbus is preparing to give its own defence.<br/>