PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus and Qatar Airways are moving towards an agreement to end their A350 dispute, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
The two groups are engaged in a legal battle while the Doha airline, which invokes a security issue, accuses Airbus of design defects (paint degradation, erosion of the protective layer) on its A350 aircraft.
But two sources said the tone seemed calmer between the two groups and negotiations were gaining momentum following discussions at the political level and an uneventful meeting between the two sides and their respective representatives. in Doha last week.
“There will be an agreement,” said one of the sources, while the other warned that discussions were still ongoing.
Airbus and Qatar Airways did not immediately comment.
The dispute between the European aircraft manufacturer and the Qatari company has been brought to the attention of the leaders of France and Qatar, two countries which maintain close relations.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters this month that President Emmanuel Macron and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had discussed the matter in recent weeks.
An Elysée official said Tuesday that he had no comment at this stage.
The Qatari government’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Tim Hepher, Michel Rose and Andrew Mills report, Blandine Hénault for the French version, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)
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