On Friday, Qatar Airways took its $4 million-per-day dispute with Airbus to social media by posting a video of the scarred exteriors of grounded A350 jets, which the airline said and highlighted that the jets had “severe and valid safety issues.”
The two firms have been at odds for months over paint deterioration and anti-lightning protection on long-haul planes, which Airbus admits requires repair while claiming it does not jeopardise safety.
After Airbus accused Qatar Airways of orchestrating the conflict to obtain compensation, the state-owned airline retaliated with the first official photographs of jets grounded by its national regulator in an attempt to keep the focus on technical issues.
The issue has forced Qatar Airways to ground 21 of its 53 A350 jets, casting a pall over the airline’s preparations for the World Cup later this year. The airline claims it requires additional planes to accommodate tens of thousands of fans.
It has also driven Qatar Airways to exclude Airbus from a multibillion-dollar deal to replace almost three dozen freighters, a transaction that is anticipated to go to competitor Boeing and might help strengthen ties with Washington during a forthcoming visit.
Qatar Airways has demanded $618 million in compensation, extra $4 million per day, and has blocked fresh A350 deliveries. Airbus has stated that it will vigorously contest the claim.
Qatar Airways showed rows of problems on the skin of some of the A350s grounded by the country’s regulator in a YouTube video that lasted just over a minute and a half.
The groundings, which have not occurred elsewhere, have “no reasonable or rational foundation,” according to Airbus.
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