Qatar Airways defends its skies against strong Airbus winds

Next April 26, the first hearings of the dispute in the London Court

“Qatar Airways defends its skies against the strong winds of Airbus.” This is the description that applies to the current crisis between the national carrier and the world’s aircraft giant, Airbus. Qatar Airways raises the slogan of quality, safety and security that it has been following since its establishment, in its struggle against industry defects, which may threaten this slogan strongly. and the management systems that it applies to operate these aircraft.

Qatar Airways, on its way to defending these standards, which enabled it to rank among the world’s airlines with merit, has resorted to the judiciary to preserve its material and moral rights. Next April 26, a procedural session is set before a British court, in which everything that supports the position of Qatar Airways against the defects of the A-350 aircraft.

620 million in compensation
The national carrier is seeking compensation of about $620 million during the dispute, and clarifies that it has started taking these legal actions in a British court against the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in an attempt to resolve a dispute over surface damage to the A350 aircraft.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker has strongly urged Airbus to prioritize investigations into the root cause of the Airbus A350 issue, and to find a permanent solution as soon as possible to repair the damage and fundamentally correct the problem.”
Qatar Airways lists its efforts to resolve the dispute amicably, but all its attempts to reach a constructive solution with Airbus regarding the rapid deterioration of the surface of the Airbus A350 aircraft, which affects it negatively, have failed. And it stresses that, accordingly, Qatar Airways had no alternative but to seek a quick solution to this dispute through the judiciary.

Flying off 21
out of 53 aircraft
Qatar Airways adds that the local regulator – the Civil Aviation Authority – has ordered it to ground 21 out of 53 A-350 aircraft and is demanding $618 million in compensation for the 21 grounded planes, in addition to $4 million for each day.
It has also asked British judges to order France-based Airbus not to try to deliver more planes until it has fixed what it describes as a design flaw, after at least five other airlines revealed surface or paintwork defects since 2016. It could not assess Feasibility of any proposed reforms without adequate awareness of the underlying cause of the situation.
As part of its efforts to alleviate this crisis on its fleet and increase the demand from passengers on its network, Qatar Airways used the Airbus A-380 for the first time in 18 months, after the airline decided to return this aircraft to service to meet the high demand for travel during the peak season in the winter season.
At least 5 aircraft from the airline’s fleet, which includes 10 Airbus A380 aircraft, have temporarily returned to service, as of December 15, 2021, with the aim of supporting the airline’s operations to a number of major destinations during the winter, such as London and Paris.
The national carrier of the State of Qatar is facing major shortcomings in its fleet of aircraft, as a result of the suspension of 19 of its Airbus A350 aircraft, due to problems in the surface under the paint, which is damaged faster than usual, according to the mandate issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority.
The airline also recently returned a number of its Airbus A330 aircraft, following the continued increase in passenger numbers.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker comments on this dispute with Airbus, saying, “The grounding of a large number of Qatar Airways’ Airbus A350 aircraft left us no choice but to make a decision to return a number of Airbus A380s to serve flights to a number of major destinations. During the winter and temporarily. He stressed that the suspension of some A350 aircraft was due to problems with the surface under the paint, which is damaged faster than usual, and this issue is still an unresolved issue between Qatar Airways and Airbus, which has not yet found the main cause of this problem.

Returning the A380 to service
Al Baker stresses that the decision to return the A380 to service highlights the gravity of the A350 issue, although it is a short-term temporary decision designed to support the balance of our operations to meet commercial requirements. Also, this decision does not mean returning our A380 fleet to service, as the main objective of stopping them at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic was to contribute to more dependence on twin-engine, fuel-efficient aircraft.”
Al Baker adds: “One of the most important advantages of our aircraft fleet is its high flexibility and diversity. This means that we are not dependent on any particular type of aircraft, enabling us to balance commercial requirements with responsibility for the environment and to operate a sustainable fleet at all times.
“We look forward to our commitment to finding alternative solutions to support travel demand and maintain the highest levels of sustainability and the passenger experience,” he added.
Al Baker strongly called on Airbus to prioritize investigations into the root cause of the Airbus A350 issue, and to find a permanent solution as soon as possible to repair the damage and fundamentally correct the problem.”

unexpected reaction
For its part, and in an unexpected reaction that did not reflect the relationship between the two sides, Airbus canceled a contract with Qatar Airways to buy 50 A321neo aircraft in a preliminary document of pleadings submitted during a hearing to determine the date for hearing the A350 dispute in a circuit of the Supreme Court in Britain last Thursday. Qatar Airways asserts that Airbus’ efforts to expand and escalate the dispute over the A350 by canceling the A321 contract is regrettable and frustrating.
“We can confirm that we have already terminated the contract for 50 A321s with Qatar Airways, consistent with our rights,” an Airbus spokesperson said.
The order for the A321s stems from a deal first signed nearly 10 years ago and was then valued at $4.6 billion at the manufacturer’s list price. It was later modified to replace ten A321s with a newer version.
Qatar Airways says the A321 will help it operate flights to new markets that currently have insufficient demand for larger planes, but are beyond the distances covered by the smaller A320.

The national carrier: Rebuilding the network of destinations in 140 destinations

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network of destinations, as it currently operates flights to more than 140 destinations worldwide. While keen to increase the number of its flights to major global destinations, the airline provides travelers with various travel options with the ability to change travel plans and destination easily and conveniently when they wish to do so.
Qatar Airways won the “Best Airline in the World” award at the 2021 Skytrax World Awards, in addition to winning five other awards: “Best Business Class in the World,” “Best Business Class Lounge in the World,” and “Best Business Class Lounge in the World.” Best Business Class Seat in the World”, “Best Business Class Catering in the World”, and “Best Airline in the Middle East”. The national carrier of the State of Qatar continued its position at the forefront of international airlines after winning the award for the best in the world for the sixth time in its history (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). Hamad International Airport was also awarded the “Best Airport in the World for 2021” award, as it ranked first among the airports during the Skytrax Airport Awards 2021.
Qatar Airways has become the first international airline to receive a 5-star rating in the “Airline COVID-19 Safety Measures Audit” from Skytrax. This comes in the wake of the success achieved by Hamad International Airport as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to receive a 5-star rating in the “Audit of COVID-19 Safety Measures at the Airport Level.” This confirms to travelers all over the world; The health and safety procedures and measures in Qatar Airways are subject to the highest possible standards in terms of professional and independent auditing and evaluation.