Back in early June of 2021, we reported that Qatar Airways had halted deliveries of brand new Airbus
A350s. For the few who are still unaware, this move was a reaction to a dispute over
the quality and condition of A350 paintwork, with the airline experiencing surface degradation that
it (and Qatari civil aviation regulators) found concerning. Amid the refusal to take the new jets,
what has Airbus been doing with the carrier's undelivered A350s?
According to data sourced from AIB Family Flights, Airbus continues to keep Qatar Airways' A350s in
good working condition, with various maintenance activities being undertaken at regular intervals.
It appears that there are three built but undelivered A350-1000s seemingly 'stuck'
in France due to Qatar Airways' refusal to take them. These aircraft are as follows:
A7-AOA (MSN 409) - Its first flight was taken on September 1st, 2021
ANT (MSN 430), whose first flight was on November 18th, 2021,
And AOB (MSN 438) whose fiirst flight was on January 27th, 2022
With the dispute between the two companies dragging on (and very much escalating) over
the past few months, Airbus has been forced to take care of the aircraft to ensure they
remain in good working order. This appears to take the form of engine runs and taxi checks,
which have been taking place every few weeks. The aircraft with MSN 409 remains at Airbus'
main facility in Toulouse, having had engine runs and taxi checks on April 5th
and April 20th. Last week, on April 21st, a test flight was conducted with the aircraft.
This latest flight is the aircraft's 8th. 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 9th and April 13th.
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 10th. These engine runs
have had fairly regular intervals- taking place on February 23rd, March 23rd, and April 22nd.
With so much time having already passed with the airline's new-delivery-refusal,
some might ask why these aircraft couldn't have been reallocated to a different customer.
There are two main answers to this question/problem.
Even before aircraft parts make it to the final assembly line,
the numerous components of the jet already have a customer attached to them. Thus, very early
on in the aircraft manufacturing process, it is clear which airline will take the aircraft to-be.
The second issue has been the ongoing state of uncertainty for Airbus. Early on in the dispute,
it's possible that there was optimism for a speedy resolution to the problems brought forward by its
airline customer. Although months have passed, this uncertainty has continued, leaving Airbus
in a state of limbo. Qatar Airways is unlikely to officially cancel the order just yet,
as it would be at risk of paying hefty penalties as a result. At the same time, Airbus can't simply
reallocate the aircraft to a different customer without the airline canceling its commitment.
Interestingly, it appears that the status of these aircraft has changed recently. While
these jets were listed as future deliveries for Qatar Airways, websites like Planespotters.net now
lists these aircraft as NTU, or “not taken up.” Thus, it now seems like these aircraft are a
step closer to finding new airline customers… What do you think will be the ultimate fate
of these three undelivered A350s? Let us know by leaving a comment.