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Airbus cancels more of Qatar Airways’ orders as paint fight continues
Ethan Klapper
Contributor
Ethan Klapper is a former senior aviation reporter at TPG who focused on the operational side of the airline industry. He joined TPG from Yahoo News in 2021, where he served as senior audience development editor, overseeing social media and audience development strategy. Prior to joining the Yahoo News team in 2018, Ethan worked at HuffPost.
Feb. 09, 2022
•
3 min read
Airbus cancels more of Qatar Airways’ orders as paint fight continues
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The ongoing dispute between Qatar Airways and Airbus over A350 paint that is peeling and corroding shows no signs of letting up.
The latest chapter of the tit-for-tat saga occurred on Tuesday when it was revealed in Airbus' monthly orders and deliveries update that at some point during the month of January, Qatar's A350-900 order backlog had dropped from 42 to 40 aircraft. Reuters reported that Airbus had canceled two of the orders.
The dispute started in June of last year, when Qatar paused its A350 deliveries and began grounding 21 of its A350s due to the paint deterioration issues. Airbus has repeatedly denied that the issues are a safety risk, and other A350 operators have not taken similar action.
Since December, the spat has escalated quickly and dramatically. That month, Qatar sued Airbus in an English court.
Later in January, Airbus proceeded to cancel Qatar's 50 A321neo orders. Ten of those aircraft were A321LRs.
Qatar then released the above video detailing the damage to its A350 fleet.
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"As this video clearly shows, these defects are not superficial and one of the defects causes the aircraft's lightning protection system to be exposed and damaged, another defect leaves the underlying composite structure exposed to moisture and ultraviolet light, and other defects include cracking in the composite and damage around a high percentage of rivets on the aircraft fuselage," the airline said in a statement.
A few weeks later, Qatar swiftly ordered 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, along with launching the Boeing 777X Freighter variant. The A350 has largely disappeared from Qatar's marketing materials and its social media channels, underscoring the airline's angst toward the European aircraft manufacturer.
Qatar Airways has moved ambitiously to restore service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This month, its capacity is down 28.4% compared to February 2020, according to aviation data provider Cirium. Middle Eastern archrival Emirates, by comparison, is down 42.3%. (Both carriers are dwarfed by airlines that have large domestic markets, such as Oneworld partner American Airlines, which is down just 10% this month.)
With a significant portion of its A350 fleet grounded and a desire by its longtime leader Akbar Al Baker to continue to grow ahead of this year's World Cup, Qatar faces an aircraft shortage. So far, it's resorted to returning the Airbus A380, which was retired during the pandemic, to service. The airline is also leasing Boeing 777-300ERs from Cathay Pacific, which finds itself largely diminished as strict government travel restrictions remain in place. American Airlines will also launch service to Doha this summer to help meet the increased demand.
When will this end and get settled? Knowing Al Baker's persistence as the 25-year leader of Qatar Airways, this spat is likely far from over.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
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Cons
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- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
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