A design fault, according to Qatar Airways, prevents Airbus from attempting any more deliveries of the jets unless it is corrected by British judges.
Blistering paint, fractured window frames, or riveted sections, and a layer of lightning protection have all been cited as examples of damage by both companies.
A tense standoff has erupted between Qatar Airways and Airbus after the latter claimed that, despite acknowledging technical issues, there was no safety risk with any of the airline’s A350 aircraft.
Qatar Airways sued Airbus in December, and in a court file in London’s High Court, the financial and technical details of the unusual legal dispute have now surfaced.
Airbus is being sued by Qatar Airways for $618 million in damages, plus $4 million per day the airline’s 21 planes are out of service.
The claim includes $76 million for a single aircraft, a five-year-old A350 that was supposed to be repainted in Qatar’s World Cup livery for the 2022 event.
Even though it has been in France for a year, industry sources report that the aircraft has 980 repair patches needed after an attempted paint job uncovered breaches in the lightning shield.
Qatar Airways has bought eighty A350s aeroplanes.
