Qatar Airways Resumes Airbus A350 Deliveries Following Resolution of Dispute

Qatar Airways has announced the resumption of new-build aircraft deliveries from Airbus, marking the end of a hiatus that began in December 2020. The airline had halted deliveries due to concerns over superstructure degradation in the A350 aircraft.

The first aircraft to be received after the hiatus is the A350-1000 A7-ANT (msn 430), which completed its delivery journey from Toulouse Blagnac to Doha Hamad International on May 12, 2023. According to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, it entered into revenue service on May 16. This addition brings the carrier’s A350-1000 fleet to twenty aircraft, in addition to its thirty-four A350-900s. Qatar Airways still has twenty-two A350-1000s on order from Airbus, as indicated by the ch-aviation fleets advanced module.

The A350 delivery pause was initially prompted by the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) grounding the aircraft due to fuselage paint deterioration in mid-2021. Subsequently, Qatar Airways and Airbus became embroiled in a public dispute, escalating into legal proceedings over compensation. In early 2022, Airbus canceled Qatar Airways’ outstanding A350 and fifty A321neo orders as tensions mounted.

However, a settlement reached in February 2023 resolved the issues between the airline and the manufacturer. As part of the settlement, the orders were reinstated, enabling the resumption of A350 deliveries. Additionally, Qatar Airways is set to receive A321neo aircraft starting in 2026, as per the agreed schedule.