Airbus is in talks with Qatar Airways to try to resolve a bitter legal and safety dispute over the A350 passenger aircraft, according to the plane’s chief executive. “There is progress in the sense that we are communicating. “We are working together,” Guillaume Fori told Reuters on the sidelines of an airline meeting in Doha on Sunday. “I think we share the view that a settlement would be a better way forward, but as long as you do not have an agreement, you do not have an agreement.” There were no immediate comments from Qatar Airways. The two sides disagree on the airworthiness of Europe’s newest long-haul aircraft, as damage to its protective outer skin exposed gaps in lightning protection and prompted Qatari authorities to land more than 20 jets. Airbus, backed by European regulators, has acknowledged quality defects in jets on many airlines, but denies the problems pose a safety risk due to backup systems. Qatar Airways, with the support of its national regulator, which ordered the jets out of service, insists the impact on safety cannot be properly understood until Airbus provides a deeper analysis. In an unprecedented litigation in London, Qatar Airways is seeking Airbus compensation of more than $ 1 billion, with the value of the carrier claim increasing by $ 4 million a day. “We are in a difficult position, but we at Airbus are really willing to find a way out,” Faury said. “We have talked [and] The line of communication has never been broken between us and Qatar Airways. “I do not think it’s easy; but we talk to each other and we continue to support Qatar Airways in its operations.”
No direct conversation so far
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker told reporters last month that he hoped the dispute could be “settled out of court”, while remaining highly critical of the jet erosion that has affected some other carriers. . So far, industry sources say there is no evidence of a settlement, and a British judge last month questioned whether the dispute could be settled out of court soon, given the wide gap between the parties. Fori and Al Baker are both attending the International Air Transport Association’s annual meeting in Doha on June 19-21, but officials say there have been no signs of direct talks so far. Industry sources say the rift is particularly difficult to resolve since it widened in January, when Airbus withdrew a separate contract with Qatar Airways for the smaller A321neos. Qatar Airways said the move to punish the airline for the A350 by canceling a separate deal is a worrying market precedent, but Airbus says it is enforcing its contractual rights.
