Airbus has reportedly canceled delivery of 19 A350-1000 aircraft ordered by Qatar Airways, Reuters sources said.
The Middle Eastern airline has an order for 38 long-haul jets, of which it had received half. However, part of the aircraft that are ready were not accepted by Qatar because of problems affecting the paintwork of more than 20 of these jets.
Disagreements between Airbus and Qatar ended up in court after the carrier opened a lawsuit in which it seeks compensation of about $1.4 billion for damages suffered from the inability to use the aircraft. Airbus, however, guarantees that A350s with peeling paint are safe and could continue to fly.
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Qatar Airways was the launch customer for the A350, a widebody aircraft that incorporates several technological advances in addition to offering great fuel economy. The jetliner was a response to the slightly smaller Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Even with the cancellation, Qatar is the largest operator of the A350, with 53 aircraft in its fleet. According to Planespotters, 26 of them were active in early August.
Airbus had already terminated its contract with Qatar over an order for 50 A321neos in January. Without the European jets, the airline ended up closing a similar order for the rival 737 MAX 10, a deal it signed with Boeing in July.
