Qatar Airways (QA) on Friday, January 21, added more fuel to the fire that is its feud with US aircraft-maker Airbus by releasing a video that showed the paint-peeling problem that is at the center of the controversy.
The move came within mere hours of Airbus cancelling an order of 50 of its A321neo aircraft, which it was to deliver to the Gulf-based airline — one among the “big three” of the region.
The order was estimated to be worth $6 billion based on Airbus’ catalog price, but airlines are known to get better deals from plane-makers.
QA said: “We confirm that we are adhering to all of our obligations under all applicable contracts [with Airbus].”
It went on to add: “It is therefore a matter of considerable regret and frustration that Airbus has taken the apparent decision to expand and escalate this dispute.”
QA has so far grounded 21 out of all the Airbus A350 passenger aircraft it has in its fleet due to paint from certain sections from the fuselage peeling off.
It has also stopped taking delivery of previously-ordered A350 aircraft, demanding that Airbus fix the problem first.
It said: “We continue to strongly believe that Airbus must undertake a thorough investigation of this condition to conclusively establish its full root cause in order to establish whether any proposed repair solution will rectify the underlying condition and ensure no risk to the continued airworthiness of the aircraft.”
The airline also said its Friday-released video showed that these defects “are not superficial and one of the defects causes the aircraft’s lightning protection system to be exposed and damaged.”
It claimed that another defect left the underlying composite structure exposed to moisture and ultraviolet light.
Yet other defects include “cracking in the composite and damage around a high percentage of rivets on the aircraft fuselage,” said the carrier.
Watch the video here:
