After eighteen months of clashes over the degradation of the surface of the fuselages of part of the A350 fleet which, according to the airline, threatened flight safety. The aircraft manufacturer and the Gulf carrier have decided to settle their dispute “amicably” and have abandoned the legal proceedings they had initiated mutually. A trial for this incredible story was scheduled for June in London.
Qatar Airways had launched legal proceedings in London
The airline had sued the aircraft manufacturer for compensation for grounding 29 of its 53 A350s since June 2021. The company was asking for the tidy sum of $200,000 per aircraft per day of grounding, a total of $2.5 billion. “The details of the settlement are confidential and the parties will now proceed to drop their legal claims,” the press release said.
Qatar Airways to confirm Airbus orders
Despite the difficulties encountered in the supply chain, the aircraft manufacturer is striving to increase the production rates of its long-haul: A350 deliveries have increased from 55 to 60 units between 2021 and 2022. The aircraft manufacturer could go through 2023 from a rate of five to six aircraft per month. Airbus must also ensure the commercial success of the cargo version of the aircraft, launched in 2021. To date, 35 A350Fs have been ordered, including the recent order for four aircraft from Air France-KLM
