Gulf carrier Qatar Airways and Airbus have been at loggerheads for a long time and various lawsuits are now pending. Now the manufacturer is going to court in the United States of America and wants to enforce 220 million US dollars and the repayment of loans from the airline.
The core of the dispute are quality defects, that Qatar Airways found on the A350 aircraft. Qatar's civil aviation authority subsequently issued a flight ban. However, the manufacturer sees the matter completely differently and, in particular, far less dramatically than the customer. At first, Qatar Airways refused to accept further aircraft of this type. The dispute then reached its preliminary climax in a statement issued by Airbus Cancellation of a bulk A321neo order.
Against this the golf carrier went to court and was able to achieve a first success after a first hearing, because the court temporarily prohibits the Reallocation of delivery slots. This order is initially valid until the next hearing, which is scheduled for April 4, 2022. Qatar then intends to apply for an injunction that will provide temporary legal protection for the entire duration of the proceedings. It is up to the court to decide whether or not to issue it.
Airbus has now filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways in the United States and is demanding, among other things, 220 million US dollars in damages for A350s that were not accepted and the repayment of loans granted. When asked, the airline concerned said that nothing was known about this legal step. A lawsuit has not yet been served. This should probably only be a matter of a few days.