Airbus undertakes maintenance activities for Qatar's A350s amid delivery refusal

Dhaka: Airbus is undertaking various maintenance activities for the undelivered Qatar Airways' A350s to keep them in good working condition.

Earlier, in June 2021, Qatar Airways halted deliveries of brand new Airbus A350s following a dispute over the quality and condition of the aircraft’s paintwork, with the airline experiencing surface degradation that it and Qatari civil aviation regulators find concerning.

There are three undelivered A350-1000s 'stuck' in Toulouse due to Qatar Airways' refusal to take the jets. These aircraft are as follows: A7-AOA (MSN 409) - First flight taken on September 1, 2021; A7-ANT (MSN 430) - First flight on November 18, 2021; and A7-AOB (MSN 438) - First flight on January 27, 2022.

Amid the long-running dispute leading to a court case which is still ongoing, Airbus has been forced to take care of the aircraft to ensure they remain in good working order. For this purpose, the plane manufacturer is carrying out engine runs and taxi checks, taking place every 3-5 weeks.

The aircraft with MSN 409 remains at Airbus' main facility in Toulouse, having had engine runs and taxi checks on April 5 and April 20. On April 21, a test flight was conducted with the aircraft. This latest flight is the aircraft's eighth.

Meanwhile, MSN 430 has been stored at Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport (CHR) since early February. This aircraft had two engine runs and taxi checks since its relocation. These took place on March 9 and April 13.

Finally, MSN 438 has remained on the ground in Toulouse since early February. This aircraft has had three engine runs and taxi checks since its third flight on February 10. These engine runs have had fairly regular intervals- taking place on February 23, March 23, and April 22.

Regarding these three built-but-undelivered Airbus A350-1000s, no further action will take place until a court ruling is handed down. Meanwhile, engine runs, taxi checks, and the occasional test flight will still be taking place.