The company is also asking judges in the UK to order Airbus to suspend the delivery of any of the jets until the alleged design defects have been rectified.
Qatar Airways and Airbus have been in dispute for several months now over damages including blistered paint, cracked window frames, and erosion of a layer of lightning protection. Qatar Airways says it has been ordered to stop flying 21 of its 53 A350 jets as issues arose, thus prompting the ongoing dispute with Airbus.
Qatar Airways is calling for $618 million in contractual compensation over the partial grounding it has experienced. Additionally, the airline is seeking $4 million for each day the 21 jets remain out of action.
Qatar Airways’ claim also includes $76 million for a single 5-year-old A350 that was set to be repainted for the 2022 World Cup. The aircraft has allegedly been parked in France for a year requiring 980 repair patches after gaps in the lightning shield were exposed by the aborted paint job.
Airbus says that, while it acknowledges technical problems, there are no safety issues.
