A long-running legal battle between Qatar Airways and Airbus over the safety of the A350 aircraft has been resolved.
The settlement was “amicable and mutually agreeable,” according to a statement released jointly by the corporations on Wednesday.
The firms stated in a statement, “A repair effort is currently underway and both parties look forward to getting these aircraft back in the air safely.
The “amicable settlement” puts an end to a $2 billion dispute over the safety of Europe’s top long-haul plane, a public spat that forced Airbus to cancel contracts for dozens of other jets from Qatar before a court trial in June.
Due to the long-range aircraft’s fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate,” according to Qatar Airways, the airline grounded all Airbus A350s.
The carbon composite fuselage of the A350s, which is intended to make the twin-aisle aircraft lighter and less expensive to operate by using less jet fuel, has caused concerns for the airline.
Qatar’s national airline stated in December 2021 that it will be suing Airbus in London over what it called the “accelerated surface degradation” of the wide-body A350.
A350’s regulator grounded 29 of the aircraft after flaws in a sublayer of lightning protection were revealed by cracks in the painted surface. Despite acknowledging quality issues, Toulouse, France-based Airbus maintains that its aircraft are safe.
The next month, Airbus cancelled a multibillion-dollar contract with Qatar Airways for 50 of its popular A321neo single-aisle, more compact aircraft.
As a result of Qatar Airways’ unwillingness to accept any additional A350s until the issue was resolved, the Airbus contract for its A321neos was terminated.
The settlement’s specifics are kept private. Both parties would dismiss their legal complaints and “go forward and work together as partners,” the corporations claimed, adding that the agreement was not an admission of liability by either party.
Bruno Le Maire, the French minister of finance, praised the agreement.
The first of 50 A321neos will now be delivered in 2026, three years after the airline claimed this was scheduled, according to the planemaker, which also stated it would reinstate all orders it had canceled as a result of the dispute.
A spokeswoman noted that the first of the 23 unfinished A350s will be delivered this year.
