Qatar Airways brings thirteen of its aircraft to a standstill Airbus A350. The reason? Problems with the flaking paint on the fuselage.
In a press release, Qatar Airways says it has had to ground 13 Airbus A350s out of a total of 53 aircraft. The Qatari carrier justifies this decision by "increased surveillance of the aircraft", for which "the surface of the fuselage under the paint is deteriorating at an accelerated rate".
The airline is working with its regulator to ensure the safety of all passengers. Following instructions from its regulator, thirteen aircraft have been grounded. They will remain grounded until "that a satisfactory solution is available to correct this problem"..
The safety and security of its passengers remain Qatar Airways' primary concern. At the same time, the airline wants to reassure its passengers by saying that it is finding alternative solutions for grounded aircraft. Qatar Airways has announced that it is bringing its fleet of A330s back into service. stored in the desert with the pandemic.
Qatar Airways Group Managing Director Akbar Al Baker said: "With this latest development, we sincerely hope that Airbus treats this matter with the full attention it deserves. Qatar Airways will accept nothing less than aircraft that continue to offer its customers the highest possible level of safety and the best travel experience they deserve.
No statement from Airbus. In a press release, the European aircraft manufacturer stated that it was "not commenting on our customers' operations. As a leading aircraft manufacturer, we are still in discussions with our customers. These discussions remain confidential".
A tense relationship between Qatar Airways and Airbus
Qatar Airways specifies that it will not accept any new A350 aircraft until Airbus has identified and permanently corrected this technical anomaly. Relations between Qatar Airways and Airbus have been strained for many months.
In May, the CEO of Qatar Airways had already threatened Airbus in an interview with Bloomberg TV. A threat following a disagreement over the performance of future aircraft ordered from the aircraft manufacturer.
"If we are not able to solve the serious problem we have [...editor's note: with AirbusWe will refuse to take aircraft from them", he said. Akbar Al Baker then warned that a a falling out with Qatar Airways would cause Airbus "stress in the relationship with IAG, with LatAm and with other airlines in which we have a stake".
