By Tim Hepher
LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Airbus AIR.PA has carried out design adjustments to A350 passenger jets amid a $2 billion dispute with Qatar Airways over floor injury, which spilled over to a debate on safety on Thursday.
The 2 corporations have been preventing in court docket for months over the security influence of flaking paint that uncovered corrosion or gaps in a sub-layer of metallic lightning safety.
On the coronary heart of the case is a sandwich of copper foil between the carbon fuselage and outer paint on A350 jets, designed to permit lightning strikes to scrub away safely.
Reuters first reported in November 2021 that Airbus was finding out a brand new kind referred to as perforated copper foil (PCF), initially as a result of it was lighter than the present expanded copper foil (ECF), but in addition as a result of it could ease cracking.
Qatar instructed a London court docket on Thursday that Airbus had began implementing the change and referred to as for extra info. Airbus confirmed its partial use from late final 12 months.
“PCF is getting used on rear-section components on plane delivered from the tip of 2022,” an Airbus spokesman mentioned.
Wrapping up the most recent preliminary listening to, Decide David Waksman described the choice to start out utilizing the brand new design as vital to the case.
Qatar Airways has blamed the injury on a doable design defect. Airbus argues the previous design stays cutting-edge and is secure.
TENSE EXCHANGES
What began out as a case about injury to the painted floor of some A350s is increasing right into a surgical examination of recent passenger jet expertise. The A350 is a primarily carbon passenger airplane competing with Boeing’s BA.N 787 Dreamliner.
European regulators say the jets are secure however Qatar Airways says this cannot be assured with out extra detailed evaluation.
Qatar Airways seeks entry to uncooked modelling information that will enable its technical consultants to simulate the influence of lightning.
However there have been tense exchanges in court docket on Thursday after Airbus mentioned French safety providers had raised considerations about sharing information fashions on jets, a few of that are utilized by European governments. Airbus cited cyber assaults on such information.
Qatar Airways accused Airbus of resorting to a brand new tactic to dam the discharge of information that might be invaluable to its case, after the planemaker was overruled in a earlier bid to make use of a particular blocking legislation defending French pursuits.
In a uncommon word of compromise, legal professionals for the 2 corporations provisionally agreed preparations to safe the info.
The dispute between two of the flagship corporations of France and Qatar, which have robust diplomatic and financial ties, has risen to the eye of leaders of the 2 nations who spoke on the topic in latest weeks, based on diplomatic sources.
Barring a deal in ongoing settlement talks, the 2 sides are heading for a uncommon company trial in June.
In a recurring theme of the preliminary hearings, Airbus and Qatar Airways argued about what number of emails and different information needs to be shared forward of the trial.
A preparatory four-way assembly between each corporations and Qatari and European regulators was deserted final week. It’s anticipated to be rescheduled later this month.
Airbus was additionally ordered on Thursday to share particulars of compensation offers with different airways on the difficulty.
Reuters’ unique 2021 investigation revealed that a number of different airways had reported flaws within the painted floor of A350s, although solely Qatar Airways has stopped flying them.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Modifying by Susan Fenton)
((tim.hepher@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 54 52; Reuters Messaging: tim.hepher.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))
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