Qatar Airways and Airbus have everything to play for in 2023 legal trial – with $1b at stake

Qatar Airways and Airbus have everything to play for in 2023 legal trial – with $1b at stake

Dubai: Qatar Airways and Airbus both have reasons to be pleased after a judge in a UK court decided a ‘speedy trial’ would be the right way to settle the bitter dispute between the two. A dispute that has its origins on the paint job done to the Airbus A350s delivered – and on order – to the Qatari flag carrier. The trial will now go ahead in the summer of 2023. Qatar Airways said it was ‘extremely pleased’ with the court’s decision. “We entered into this process to secure an expedited trial and early disclosure from Airbus that will give us an insight into the true nature of surface degradation affecting the A350s,” said the airline in a statement after the judge delivered his verdict. “We will finally be able to assess the cause of the damage to our aircraft and the expedited trial will provide a swift resolution of this unprecedented dispute.” The airline, which is seeking $1 billion in compensation from Airbus, said in March that paint layers on its A350s had been seriously damaged, exposing the lightning protection system to wind and the elements, and thus making the fuel tanks vulnerable to ignition. Qatar Airways had