In a video released on YouTube, Qatar Airways showed the defects on the skin of some of the A350s grounded by the country's regulator.

The video clip showed areas of paint peeling, cracks and damage to anti-lightning protection and other flaws. The video also showed flakes of the copper-mesh anti-lightning system, coming loose when paint was teased away by a gloved hand.

A report by Al Jazeera on 6 January 2022 has said that Qatar Airways is claiming more than $600m in compensation from Airbus for surface flaws on A350 jetliners, as per a court document that says that this feud is worth $4m a day.

In an earlier report, according to the South China Post, the faults on the A350s have been described as "blistering in the planes’ finish, exposing fuselage beneath", and Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker has accused Airbus of destroying its business relationship with the carrier, and also warned that it would not be easy to repair the relationship it previously had with Airbus.

RELATED:

• Qatar Airways claims more than $600m in Airbus A350 disagreement
• Airbus has made a large dent in our wide body operations: Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker

Source: Al Jazeera; South China Morning Post, Qatar Airways, Reuters
Cover image credit: Qatar Airways

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Vrinda Abilash

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