Muristek
DOHA, May 26, 2022 — The head of Qatar Airways today called for a negotiated settlement to a bitter court dispute with Airbus over jets with defective paintwork.
The airline and leading plane maker have been fighting in the British courts for months over the peeling paint on 23 A350 wide-body jets that have been grounded.
Airbus has retaliated by suspending a US$6 billion (RM26 billion) deal for 50 A321 planes.
“Every partnership has disputes and I just hope that this dispute could be resolved outside the courts of law,” Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference in a rare public comment on the case.
The Gulf airline lost the latest round of the battle in April when a London court rejected a Qatar Airways request for an injunction to stop Airbus selling aircraft to rival airlines.
Qatar Airways launched legal action last year seeking US$610 million plus damages for delays in settling the dispute. Airbus has however strongly resisted.
The airline has called for Airbus to “fully, properly and transparently investigate” the paint problems that it says could be a threat to the jets’ lightning protection.
Airbus insists it has fully accounted for the peeling paint and the European Aviation Safety Agency has said there is no threat to the A350’s airworthiness. — AFP