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, chief executive 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.