UPDATE – Going to court with one of your biggest and high-profile customers doesn’t seem like a clever thing to do. Yet, it’s exactly this step that Airbus is seriously considering in an attempt to solve the ongoing spat with “one of its customers”, Qatar Airways, on the A350 paint quality problems. But most of all: Airbus prepared to go to court to protect A350 reputation.
In unusually sharp wording for the airframer, Airbus announced on December 9 it will seek “independent legal assessment” over the much-publicized paint problem on the A350: “In the face of the ongoing mischaracterization of non-structural surface degradation on its fleet of A350 aircraft by one of its customers, it has become necessary for Airbus to seek an independent legal assessment as a way forward to resolve the dispute, which the two parties have been unable to settle during direct and open discussions.”
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
