From a distance, the planes can look like all the other long-haul aircraft crowded at Doha’s busy hub. But a rare on-site visit by Reuters reporters showed what appeared to be evidence of damage to parts of the wings, tail and hull. The two planes, valued at about $ 300 million together, according to analysts, are among 23 A350s at the center of a $ 1 billion legal battle in London over whether the damage posed a potential safety risk, which Airbus categorically denies. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The planes were grounded by the Qatari regulator after premature corrosion of the paint exposed damage to a metal substrate that provides protection to the fuselage from lightning. Other airlines continue to fly the A350 after European regulators declared the aircraft safe. Reuters reporters were given rare first-hand access after requesting a visit to the aviation industry’s sidelines in the Qatari capital, Doha, this week. The sporadic surface imperfections on the A350 featured by Reuters included an elongated blister and cracked paint missing or missing along the roof or jet crown. In some areas, including the curved fins, the lightning rod between the hull and the paint appeared exposed and corroded. Elsewhere it seemed to be missing, leaving exposed areas of the composite hull. The paint on the tail of one of the A350s with the orange Arabian Oryx emblem of Qatar Airways was cracked and the color exposed by the mattress below is missing. Reuters saw small areas with what appeared to be frayed or detached carbon fibers in the hull and the so-called “rivet rash” or lost color from the staple heads in the areas of the main wings. Airbus and Qatar Airways did not comment directly on Reuters’ findings. Shares of Airbus fell 3% on Wednesday morning.
CORROSION
Airbus acknowledges the quality flaws of the A350, but denies that they pose any safety risk due to the number of backup systems and the tolerance built into the design. Qatar Airways has said that this can not be known until further analysis, and refuses to take more of the planes. Airbus has argued that some paint corrosion is a feature of the carbon-fiber technology used to build all modern long-haul jets – a necessary compensation for weight savings. He says the cracks are caused by the way the paint, an anti-lightning material called ECF, and the composite structure interact. The queue does not contain all the ECF sheet, causing a debate about whether the damage comes from the same problem. Qatar Airways has challenged Airbus’ explanation, saying in a British court that its similar Boeing 787s do not have the same problems. In the midst of hundreds of pages of conflicting technical courts submitted by both sides, Reuters was unable to independently verify the cause of the damage. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury had the opportunity to socialize during a three-day industrial gathering in Qatar this week. Asked if the relationship had improved after the event, which included the two men sitting next to each other over dinner, Al Baker suggested the two sides remain far apart. “On a personal level I’m friends with everyone, but when it comes to an issue with my company, then it’s a different story. If things had been settled, we would not have waited for a test next year,” he told a news conference. Faury said this week that he was talking to the airline and reported “progress in the sense that we are communicating.” A senior aviation industry official expressed concern after the Doha meeting that the dispute could have a toxic effect on contractual ties across the industry. “It would be much better to deal with friends like this than to do it in court,” Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, told reporters. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Alexander Cornwell and Tim Hepher Edited by Mark Potter and Louise Heavens Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
