Alexander Cornwell, Tim Hepher

DUBAI, (Reuters) – A dispute between Airbus & Qatar Airways about paint flaws on A350 planes extends beyond the Gulf. At least five other airlines are also concerned since A350 was introduced, according to documents seen and discussed by Reuters as well as several persons with direct knowledge.

Qatar Airways has grounded 20 out of 53 of its A350s. The national carrier said it was acting under orders from the local regulator until explanations for witnesses’ description of A350s that appear blistered or pockmarked can be established.

Airbus claims there’s no danger to A350 safety. This is echoed in the statement of other airlines. They haven’t grounded any planes, and call the matter “cosmetic.”

Responding to Reuters queries, the planemaker stated that there were some issues with early surface wear. This had in some cases made it visible a sub-layer mesh meant to absorb lightning. It is currently working on fixing these problems.

The situation was confirmed by three individuals who had direct knowledge. They said the mesh in Qatar Airways, and possibly one other airline, developed gaps at times. This exposed the carbon-fibre fuselage to any weather conditions.

Airbus sent an email statement stating that A350 is in use since 2015 and provides storm resistance. It’s also deployed all over the globe with great reliability.

When asked about the gaps in its mesh, the company stated that some airlines are subject to greater temperature swings than others. This could be referring to, for instance, desert conditions in Qatar.

Qatar Airways called for an identification of the definitive cause and for a solution that is permanent to meet its regulatory requirements. Qatar Civil Aviation Authority did not respond to our request.

Two sources familiar with the grounding decision stated that it was determined by ongoing uncertainty regarding the impact and cause of surface degradation on lightning protection.

Airbus claims it has identified the root cause of the problem, however sources from two airlines that were affected said they weren’t notified.

After Qatar Airways stopped deliveries of 23 additional A350s, sources claimed that the row could amount to hundreds of millions.

Six months after Qatar Airways had sent an A350 for stripping and painting in special livery to host the FIFA World Cup in the Gulf, the clash became known in May.

What had for many months been seen as a single issue due to Qatar’s extreme heat was more widespread according to Reuters. The private message board that Airbus and A350 operator used to communicate with each other and which was reviewed by Reuters, revealed the following:

Finnair is a company that operates in northern Canada. They raised concerns regarding paint as soon as 2016. In October 2019, they reported damage to their anti-lightning mesh.

Cathay Pacific Airlines, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa and Air France also reported paint damage while acting as Air Caraibes’ maintenance provider.

Airbus established a task force that was multifunctional to address the previously unknown problems. It also studied new material for lightning protection on future A350 jets. Two sources familiar with this matter confirmed their knowledge.

Finnair and Cathay Pacific confirmed the cosmetic damage to some A350s. Lufthansa also confirmed this. Air Caraibes and French Bee said they had not experienced any major paint damage, and particularly none in safety. Air France claimed its A350s were operating as expected since they began flight in 2021. They declined to comment on Air Caraibes. Etihad refused to comment.

Qatar Airways was not without its problems with suppliers, but it has reached compromises in the past. Airbus CEO Akbar Al Baker regularly criticizes Boeing (NYSE:), its American rival, for alleged manufacturing and strategic errors.

According to analysts, the controversy coincides with airlines’ efforts to lessen their dependence on long-haul planes after the pandemic. Gulf industry sources claim that the grounding was not motivated by commercial interests. Qatar is in dire need of jets for its World Cup.

Airbus is not the only one facing difficulties. Boeing’s 787 aircraft have also experienced paint problems and rivet rash (flecks of paint missing from the planes), a condition known as “River Rash”. According to a spokesperson, it wasn’t safety related and that they were working on it.

However, the unusual partial grounding by Qatar comes at a sensitive time for Airbus as it races to meet an end-year delivery target and as Qatar Airways studies offers from Boeing https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/qatar-airways-expects-take-delivery-boeing-777x-aircraft-2023-ceo-2021-11-17 to replace a fleet of 34 freighters.

‘UNFORTUNATE’

According to the message board, Finnair complained of paint damage in October 2016 a year following becoming Europe’s first A350 operator. The airline later reported that “paint was in very poor condition.”

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong, which has a different paint supplier than Hong Kong, experienced similar issues in the same month. It said that it still experiences paint peeling issues on several aircraft almost a year later.

It was disclosed in one post that problems were found with an A350 two weeks after it had been delivered.

Finnair spokeswoman said that they had experienced issues with A350 paint and were working with Airbus to resolve these problems.

Cathay Pacific said that some A350s suffered cosmetic damage. It stated that the issue was fully investigated and no safety implications have been found.

Lufthansa found peeling areas in October 2017 messages. Some of these were larger than 1 meter.

Lufthansa claimed that occasionally there are cosmetic imperfections, but safety has never been compromised.

MAKE PAINT STICK

Paint played an important branding and diplomatic function in the jet age. It helped project the image of nations and airlines around the globe. The switch to lightweight aircraft brought about a problem.

Airbus launched its A350 15 years ago using carbon-fibre rather than metal when it was first introduced.

Experts believe lighter jets use less fuel, but they are more difficult to decorate so paint sticks.

A layer of metallic mesh is also required for the new jets to dissipate lightning strikes, since carbon-fibre cannot be conductive.

Carbon, unlike other metals, does not shrink or expand with temperature changes. However, paint can shrink and expand as temperatures change. This causes a tug-of-war between paint and plane that may lead to peeling.

Two people who are familiar with the design of A350 said that Qatar Airways has reported problems, as well as some other operators.

They suggested that the problem could have been exacerbated by paint’s weak adhesion with titanium rivets.

Industry experts are questioning whether there were other manufacturing defects that could have caused the problem.

Reuters saw photos submitted by Finnair to the message board in 2019. They show Expanded Foil, which is corroded mesh. Airbus and Finnair did not comment on the images, however Airbus representatives indicated that this problem might have arisen from an issue in production.

A350 Chief Engineer Miguel Angel LLorca Sanz stated that the larger issue of paint was not affecting the aircraft’s structure.

Because of the safety margins, this isn’t going to affect the lightning strike protection. He said that it isn’t an issue of airworthiness.

Industry sources indicated that Airbus still plans to update the lightning system with Perforated Copper Foil.

Airbus stated that this option is under evaluation.

There is still a lot to be said about the planes currently sitting dormant in Qatar, with their windows covered up.

Reuters photographs show cracks in the paint, missing or corroded lightning protection and at least two jets are visible.

The regulators now have to decide whether this kind of lightning damage is within permissible limits. Airbus maintains that the plane would not be damaged by the storm. In turn, this could decide whether any compensation clauses can be activated.

European regulators claim there are no signs of safety risks. Qatar, however, insists upon deeper analysis and does not appear to be slowing down.