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Thread: Airline News

  1. #3626
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    Robust discussion is allowed, but posters should stay on topic and refrain from personal attacks.


    No

    He hasn't
    Oh fuck off you whiny scandihooligan twat.

  2. #3627
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Not quite sure why it's doing it in the US... must owe most of its money there I suppose.

    MANILA: Philippine Airlines said on Saturday it was filing for bankruptcy in the United States to slash $2 billion in debt as it tries to survive an industry gutted by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The national carrier of the Philippines said the filing will allow it to restructure contracts and cut debt by at least $2 billion while getting $655 million in fresh capital when it emerges from the Chapter 11 process.

    PAL will also downsize its fleet by 25% and re-negotiate contracts to reduce lease payments.


    "Philippine Airlines will continue business-as-usual operations while finalising the restructuring of our network, fleet and organisation," senior vice president and chief financial officer Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez said in a video message.


    As part of agreements reached with suppliers, lenders and lessors, Rodriguez said PAL will secure $505 million to execute the recovery plan. The money will later convert into airline equity and long-term debt.


    It will also obtain another $150 million in debt funding after it emerges from the restructuring process "in a few months", Rodriguez said.


    Philippine air travel volume collapsed by 75% from about 30 million passengers in 2019 to 7 million last year due to pandemic restrictions, PAL president Gilbert Santa Maria said in the same video.


    The carrier cancelled more than 80,000 flights, wiping out $2 billion in revenue, and let go of 2,300 employees.


    Its main shareholder injected more than $130 million in emergency liquidity and a non-strategic asset was sold for more than $70 million.

    Santa Maria said PAL now operates 21% of pre-pandemic flights to 70% of its usual destinations.
    Philippine Airlines files for bankruptcy

  3. #3628
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    A documentary about Boeing's flying coffin.


  4. #3629
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Not quite sure why it's doing it in the US... must owe most of its money there I suppose.



    Philippine Airlines files for bankruptcy
    It was much nicer than Cebu Air

  5. #3630
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    A legal case about

    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Boeing's flying coffin
    A patsy has been fingered:
    Former Boeing 737 MAX Chief Technical Pilot Indicted for Fraud


    Thursday, October 14, 2021

    "A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned an indictment today charging a former Chief Technical Pilot for Boeing with deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Evaluation Group in connection with their evaluation of Boeing’s 737 MAX airplane, and scheming to defraud Boeing’s U.S. based airline customers to obtain tens of millions of dollars for Boeing.

    According to court documents, Mark A. Forkner, 49, formerly of Washington State and currently of Keller, Texas, allegedly deceived the FAA AEG during the agency’s evaluation and certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX airplane. As alleged in the indictment, Forkner provided the agency with materially false, inaccurate, and incomplete information about a new part of the flight controls for the Boeing 737 MAX called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).


    Because of his alleged deception, a key document published by the FAA AEG lacked any reference to MCAS. In turn, airplane manuals and pilot-training materials for U.S.-based airlines lacked any reference to MCAS — and Boeing’s U.S.-based airline customers were deprived of important information when making and finalizing their decisions to pay Boeing tens of millions of dollars for 737 MAX airplanes.


    “Forkner allegedly abused his position of trust by intentionally withholding critical information about MCAS during the FAA evaluation and certification of the 737 MAX and from Boeing’s U.S.‑based airline customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In doing so, he deprived airlines and pilots from knowing crucial information about an important part of the airplane’s flight controls. Regulators like the FAA serve a vital function to ensure the safety of the flying public. To anyone contemplating criminally impeding a regulator’s function, this indictment makes clear that the Justice Department will pursue the facts and hold you accountable.”


    “In an attempt to save Boeing money, Forkner allegedly withheld critical information from regulators,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “His callous choice to mislead the FAA hampered the agency’s ability to protect the flying public and left pilots in the lurch, lacking information about certain 737 MAX flight controls. The Department of Justice will not tolerate fraud – especially in industries where the stakes are so high."

    Continues here:

    Former Boeing 737 MAX Chief Technical Pilot Indicted for Fraud | USAO-NDTX | Department of Justice

    No mention of being advised, to act in this manner, by the Boing Boing board members, yet.
    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

  6. #3631
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    He should be on at least manslaughter charges as well.

  7. #3632
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    Heathrow will be allowed to raise passenger charges by up to 56% under plans announced by the aviation regulator.

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is consulting on increasing the cap on the west London airport’s price per passenger from £22 last year to between £24.50 and £34.40.

    It is proposing that the exact figure will depend on factors such as passenger demand and commercial revenue, with prices higher if Heathrow continues to struggle in those areas.

    The range is planned to come in effect from summer 2022, with an interim cap of £30 being introduced at the beginning of the year.

    The charges are ultimately paid by passengers as airlines add the cost to the price of tickets.


    Heathrow had called for the cap to range from £32-£43 for the five-year period being consulted on.


    The airport said in July that its losses from the Covid-19 pandemic had hit £2.9 billion.


    Passenger numbers in September were just 38% of pre-pandemic levels.

    CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty said: “While international air travel is still recovering, setting a price control for Heathrow Airport against the backdrop of so much uncertainty means we have had to adapt our approach.

    “Our principal objective is to further the interests of consumers while recognising the challenges the industry has faced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.


    “These initial proposals seek to protect consumers against unfair charges, and will allow Heathrow to continue to appropriately invest in keeping the airport resilient, efficient and one that provides a good experience for passengers.”


    Earlier this year, the CAA announced that Heathrow would be allowed to raise an additional £300 million from increased charges due to the pandemic.


    The regulator said on Tuesday that it is not planning to adjust this amount.


    Heathrow had asked last year for the total to be set at £2.6 billion.


    Consultations on the interim price cap and the wider proposals will run until November 17 and December 17 respectively.

    Plan to allow Heathrow to raise passenger charges - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

  8. #3633
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    Makes the proposed "tourist fee" of 300 baht seem like a good deal. So much for the indignation of many posters saying "Only in Thailand"

  9. #3634
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Makes the proposed "tourist fee" of 300 baht seem like a good deal. So much for the indignation of many posters saying "Only in Thailand"
    It's Bt500 and the difference is in the UK we know what it's for and where it goes. It's regulated.

    Don't try and compare that with a big bucket of money slopping around in a Thai trough.

  10. #3635
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    So Air Passenger Duty in the UK is scaled according to distance and class.

    The charge for Economy Long Haul is going up to 91 pounds about Bt4,200.

    Budget 2021: Long haul holidays to get more expensive but Air Passenger Duty is slashed on domestic flights

  11. #3636
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    Thai Airways to sell 42 jets, cut workforce to reduce costs


    Thai Airways International Plc will sell 42 planes and cut nearly a third of its workforce as part of a plan to slim down the fleet and cut costs, the head of its restructuring committee said on Monday.

    The airline, which was in difficulty well before the pandemic struck, is going through a bankruptcy-protected restructuring.

    Piyasvasti Amranand, who is leading the effort, said that the planes being sold are old and not energy efficient. He said 16 jets on lease will be returned.

    After the sale, the airline will have 58 planes across four types.

    Thai Airways has been losing money nearly every year since 2012.


    Mr Piyasvasti said the airline planned to add more flights especially from Europe over the next few months as travel recovers.


    On Monday, the Thai government reopened the country for quarantine-free travel for vaccinated tourists.


    Mr Piyasvasti said that Thai Airways will reduce the number of workers from 21,300 to 14,500 by December 2022.


    To help with cash flow, the airline will conclude a 25 billion baht credit agreement with financial institutions by next year and is in talks with the government for an additional 25 billion baht, he said.


    The airline booked a profit of 11.1 billion baht in the six months ending in June from a loss of 28 billion baht during the corresponding period a year earlier after reducing expenses.

    Thai Airways to sell 42 jets, cut workforce to reduce costs

  12. #3637
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    The airline booked a profit of 11.1 billion baht in the six months ending in June
    I'm not shooting the messenger but a big profit during the pandemic, how do they pull that rabbit out of the hat ?, the accountants really know how to restructure,

    HOPE WELLS eternal in the land of smoke and mirrors, LOS Land Smirks

    Ministry eyes Hopewell payment delay

  13. #3638
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    BA and Virgin did a simultaneous take off from London to celebrate the reopening of the US.


  14. #3639
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    Quote Originally Posted by david44 View Post
    I'm not shooting the messenger but a big profit during the pandemic, how do they pull that rabbit out of the hat ?, the accountants really know how to restructure,
    Probably by including the potential sales price of the planes . . . wouldn't surprise

  15. #3640
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Probably by including the potential sales price of the planes . . . wouldn't surprise
    Sold fixed assets.

  16. #3641
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    Zipair is the first budget airline to fly from Asia to the US

    As tourists finally begin to take to the skies again, a low-cost airline in Japan is set to become the first budget carrier to fly from Asia to North America. Zipair Tokyo Inc announced today that it is launching flight service between Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in California, the first budget airline to do so.


    Zipair is a subsidiary of Japan Airlines that started flying in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, apparently faring better than 2 budget airlines that had aimed to launch in Thailand until the pandemic hit. Now Zipair is stretching its wings and launching a Christmas gift for budget travellers. The new flight service will commence on December 25 flying from Japan to the US.

    The low-cost carrier will begin its long-haul expansion by running the Tokyo – Los Angeles route 3 times a week and then intends to evaluate the demand for adding more flights to that route or expanding to fly to other cities on the American West Coast like San Francisco or Seattle for example. The trans-Pacific flight has been in Zipair’s sights since they began operation according to the company’s president.


    “Ever since the introduction of Zipair, one of our key goals was to establish a flight across the Pacific. Our mission is to define a new standard in the air travel industry by offering a unique low-cost business model on long-haul international routes.”


    The flights will utilise Boeing 787-8 aircraft for the Tokyo to Los Angeles route and other international routes. And the flights are keeping their budget promise with one-way ticket prices starting as low as 7,900 baht, which is about 27,500 yen or US $240.


    Zipair is the first budget airline to fly from Asia to the US | Thaiger

  17. #3642
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    Thai AirAsia (TAA) has announced mass layoffs and extended furloughs after struggling with the impact of the pandemic, despite the country's reopening on Nov 1.
    Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation (AAV), the largest shareholder of TAA, made the announcement to TAA's employees on Wednesday, indicating that the real situation in terms of the aviation outlook remains unstable, prompting the company to reduce its fleet size next year and consequently reduce its workforce to maintain financial stability over the long run.
    "Even though we've negotiated with suppliers and banks to help offload aircraft leasing costs, and we may get additional liquidity after restructuring this month, our balance sheet cannot be strong enough if those expenses still run. We have to permanently cut the fleet for at least two years or until international and domestic flights fully recover," Mr Tassapon said at the internal meeting.
    TAA announced on Monday that its fleet size would be cut from 60 to 54 as revenue from international routes is still limited due to different reopening policies from country to country.
    Mr Tassapon added that the airline had already bottomed out in the third quarter, and it estimated that the domestic market should fully recover by mid-2022, while international flights might gradually return to 20-30% of 2019 levels. The best-case scenario for international routes is that TAA resumes 50% of pre-pandemic scheduled flights by the end of next year.
    "It's hurtful to take such a decision, but it's based on reality which we cannot answer as to when the situation will improve. We have to wait until revenue from international routes comes back and that will depend on the entry regulations of Thailand and overseas destinations," said Mr Tassapon.
    According to the announcement, TAA is deciding on the number of layoffs this week and will announce the list of employees to be laid off by next week. The company is also launching an early retirement programme for those who are willing to leave.
    TAA and six other airlines in the country submitted a proposal to the government in April 2020, asking for soft loans to help sustain jobs for over 20,000 employees following the impact of the first nationwide lockdown in the second quarter of that year.
    They had to wait until the third quarter of this year to get a response from the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim Bank), which has the duty to look after those airlines. However, the financial support each airline receives is different, while a few airlines, including TAA, still haven't received assistance.
    Mr Tassapon said that due to the volatile situation, TAA has to maintain furloughs and pay cuts but will assess the situation every two months and gradually remove the cuts when the financial situation improves.
    In its third-quarter financial results, TAA reported total revenue of 457 million baht and a net loss of 2.09 billion baht. The restructuring plan set to be proposed to shareholders at a meeting on Nov 26 is expected to generate additional funds of 14 billion baht from new investors.

    Thai AirAsia lays off staff amid aviation woes

  18. #3643
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    Heathrow has been given permission to increase charges by more than 50 per cent from January 1.

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the cap on the airport’s price per passenger next year will be £30.19.

    The current cap is £19.60.

    Charges are paid by airlines but are generally passed on to passengers in air fares.

    Heathrow given green light to raise passenger charges by more than 50% | Evening Standard

  19. #3644
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    Qantas to switch domestic fleet to Airbus in blow to Boeing

    Australian airline Qantas has announced that it will switch its domestic fleet of planes to Airbus from Boeing.


    The deal is a major win for the European plane maker and a blow to its US-based arch-rival.


    The company also said that it expects to make a loss of more than A$1.1bn (£590m; $788m) in the first half of its financial year.


    Like the rest of the global aviation industry, Qantas has been hit hard by months of coronavirus lockdowns.


    "This has been one of the worst halves of the entire pandemic, where most states had their borders closed and the majority of Australians were in lockdown. Domestically, our capacity fell to around 30 per cent of pre-Covid levels for several months," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.


    "We have significantly reduced our cost base which improves our ability to recover," he added.


    The company also said it had boosted its coffers by selling land near Sydney Airport for $574m.


    The airline said demand for domestic flights slowed in late November as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 emerged, although the situation was now starting to improve.


    It also expects competition in the domestic travel market to intensify in the second half of the financial year as Australia's state borders open.


    Looking to the future, the company announced that it had agreed to buy 40 Airbus jets, with the option to purchase another 94 aircraft.


    "This is a long-term renewal plan with deliveries and payments spread over the next decade and beyond, but the similarly long lead time for aircraft orders means we need to make these decisions now," Mr Joyce said.


    The deal is subject to approval by the company's board, which is expected by June next year after negotiations with pilots.


    Deliveries of the new planes are due to start in mid-2023 and continue over the 10 years to replace the airline's ageing fleet of Boeing jets.


    Qantas also said that the new planes would lower its carbon emissions.


    The announcement by Qantas caps a good week for Airbus after Singapore Airlines on Wednesday signed a provisional deal to buy seven A350 freighters.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59677826

  20. #3645
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Just as well because Qatar are probably going to switch from Airbus to Boeing after a fall out over A350 paint.

    Airbus & Qatar Airways A350 Dispute Escalates - One Mile at a Time

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    Delta: Flight to Shanghai turned back because of COVID rules

    BEIJING (AP) — Delta Air Lines said Monday that new pandemic-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport were behind the turning back of a recent flight from Seattle in midair, a move that had prompted a protest from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.


    An emailed statement said the new mandates at Shanghai Pudong International Airport “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.”


    It wasn't clear what the rules are and what prompted the change, but it comes as China tightens its already strict COVID-19 travel restrictions in the face of a growing outbreak in the city of Xi'an and ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in six weeks.

    Xi'an, which is about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) southwest of Beijing, reported more than 300 new cases over the weekend, a sharp rise from previous days. The city of 13 million people has been locked down, with only one person per household allowed out every two days to shop for necessities.


    The Delta flight that turned back to Seattle last week left passengers with expired COVID-19 test results and U.S. visas, according to Chinese media reports.


    Two Taiwan-based airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air, have both cut down on the number of flights heading to Shanghai Pudong International Airport in recent days, citing new disinfection procedures that will take longer to complete, according to Taiwan's semi-official Central News Agency.


    EVA is suspending flights from two cities to Shanghai until Feb. 3. China Airlines is suspending flights from one city to Shanghai until the end of January, and reducing the number of flights on another route.


    The consulate in San Francisco did not name Delta but said in a short statement Sunday that many flights from the U.S. to China had been delayed or canceled in recent days including a flight that turned back more than halfway to its destination.


    The consulate “had made a stern representation to the airline,” the statement said.

    Delta: Flight to Shanghai turned back because of COVID rules | Taiwan News | 2021-12-27 18:40:17

  22. #3647
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    College student only passenger on international flight

    A college student reportedly found himself alone on a flight from England to Central Florida when returning to U.S. from winter break.

    Kai Forsyth, a 19-year-old freshman, told News 6 he “didn’t really know what was going on,” when he discovered he was the lone passenger on the nine-hour flight. Forsyth said he was offered free food and drinks, but he was unable to sit in first class.

    “I’m guessing COVID-19 and precautions to fly and people are scared — especially back in the U.K.” he said, when asked why the flight was empty, telling the network it was the only question flight attendants failed to answer.

    Yet Forsyth said the in-flight service was exceptional and that he spent some of his time alone visiting the kitchen staff.

    “I actually went in the kitchen for a bit, and I was asking them like what are all these things in the storage units,” he told the outlet. “I had all the seats in the world to pick from to have my own nap which I did.”

    “I’d just like to say a massive thanks to British Airways for providing me with this flight,” he said. “That one flight attendant you know who you are, you sought me out. So, I had the best meals, all the desserts I needed.”
    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

  23. #3648
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Just as well because Qatar are probably going to switch from Airbus to Boeing after a fall out over A350 paint.

    Airbus & Qatar Airways A350 Dispute Escalates - One Mile at a Time
    Indeed be talked about a while down at the BAKERy

    Thanks for the pointer. Everyone should go google the title, read the article, and take a look at the photos. As a pilot myself, I found the images absolutely shocking. The photos do not show "cosmetic flaws" or "paint issues" -- they show a string of obvious structural disasters waiting to happen. There's a lot of discussion about the exposed mesh, which is protection against the impact of lightning strikes. Lightning, schmitening... Lightning strikes would be way down my list of concerns on this -- I'm more worried about the fuselage coming apart. I'd like to find out more about exactly where (on the airframe) these issues are occurring. If these issues are common on A350s, in critical parts of the airframe that are exposed to the airstream (and honestly, what isn't?) then the whole fleet should be grounded. Calling this merely "cosmetic" seems like Boeing calling it's 737MAX troubles "a minor software glitch". Maybe it's "just cosmetic" when the plane is sitting on the ground and not moving. But when subject to high speeds, I'd seriously worry about the skin starting to come apart. Go take a look at the photos and picture that skin moving through the air at over 500 mph. The force of the airflow at high speeds is incredibly strong, and personally, I'm going to have to think long and hard before I get on another A350 (it's a shame, the plane does provide a great passenger experience that I've enjoyed). BTW, it's not just Qatar (it's CEO is a clown, but in this case, I'd take this seriously). Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Ethiad, Lufthansa and Air France also reported issues. This seems like it should be a hair-on-fire situation for Airbus. I don't spook easily. This scares me. Yikes.

    You should see his painters
    Quote Originally Posted by david44 View Post
    We had to finish the booze before leaving the country so a party space was created at old Doha airport. Steve H (RIP)was last seen walking down the runway with a brush said going back to Cambridge R.I.P he really was a crazy fecka made seem normal
    Quote Originally Posted by Latindancer View Post
    I just want the chance to use a bigger porridge bowl.

  24. #3649
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    Quote Originally Posted by S Landreth View Post
    Forsyth said he was offered free food and drinks, but he was unable to sit in first class.
    BA Cabin Crew really are just a miserable bunch of c u n t s.

  25. #3650
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    Airbus cancels $6bn contract with Qatar Airways after paint fight

    Airbus has cancelled a $6bn contract with Qatar Airways for 50 of its new A321neo passenger jets, escalating a legal battle between the two companies over paint on the recently delivered A350s.

    Qatar Airways called Airbus’s decision announced on Friday “a matter of considerable regret and frustration”.

    In December, Airbus was taken to court by Qatar Airways in London, following a series of alleged problems with the Airbus A350 aircraft.

    The airline complained the paint on the recently delivered Airbus A350s was cracking and peeling, exposing copper meshing used to insulate the aircraft against lightning strike.

    It is seeking more than $600m in compensation after grounding the affected aircraft – 21 of its 53 A350 jets – claiming the paint issue is a safety risk.

    The deal was reportedly worth $6.35bn when it was finalised in December 2017.

    Qatar Airways published a video on social media on Friday of the scarred exterior of grounded A350 jets that the airline said underscored “serious and legitimate safety concerns”.

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency independently assessed the issue and found no safety concerns.

    “There is no reasonable or rational basis” for Qatari regulators to have grounded the A350s operated by Qatar Airways, Airbus said in documents prepared for a London court hearing on Thursday.

    It accused Qatar Airways of instigating the grounding as it was in its own financial interest to keep the aircraft on the ground in light of the coronavirus pandemic collapse in demand for air travel.

    Qatar Airways rejected the claims in a statement on Friday.

    “These defects are not superficial and one of the defects causes the aircraft’s lightning protection system to be exposed and damaged,” it said. “We continue to urge Airbus to undertake a satisfactory root cause analysis into the cause of the defects.”

    An investigation by Reuters news agency showed at least five other airlines reported A350 paint or skin flaws since 2016, well before Qatar raised concerns in November 2020 when an attempt to repaint a jet in World Cup livery exposed some 980 defects.

    Airbus has said it is looking at changing the design of anti-lightning mesh for future A350s, but insisted there is adequate backup lightning protection. It says Qatar is undermining global protocols by seeking leverage over safety.

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/...s-amid-dispute

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