Airbus, Qatar Airways Reach Amicable Settlement in A350 Paint Dispute

By Giulia Petroni

Airbus SE and Qatar Airways Co. have reached an amicable settlement in the multibillion-dollar legal dispute over the A350 fleet's surface degradation and grounding.

The European plane maker on Wednesday said that details of the settlement are confidential and the parties will proceed to discontinue legal claims. The agreement is not an admission of liability for either party.

"A repair project is now underway and both parties look forward to getting these aircraft safely back in the air," Airbus said. "This agreement will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners."

The dispute concerns paint chipping on the body and wings of some A350s.

Qatar Airways claimed that surface-paint issues on its fleet of A350s present a safety risk and grounded 29 aircraft over the issue. Airbus acknowledged the degradation but said the issue is only cosmetic and doesn't represent a risk to safety.

Write to Giulia Petroni at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 01, 2023 12:27 ET (17:27 GMT)

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