Qatar Airways is seeking $618m (€546m) from planemaker Airbus in a dispute over surface and paint quality on A350 wide-body aircraft.
The airline is seeking the sum as compensation for the grounding of 21 A350s through December 17, according to court documents. Qatar Airways is asking for a further $4.2m for each day the aircraft continue to be idled.
The dispute flared up in the middle of last year and has worsened in recent months. Airbus took the unusual step of issuing a statement denouncing its customer’s “ongoing mischaracterisation” of the issue. Qatar decided in late December to take the matter to the UK High Court.
Airbus denies the Qatar Airways claims in total, according to a spokesman. The Toulouse, France-based planemaker, reiterated that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has found no airworthiness issue with the aircraft.
A spokesman for…