Paris (AFP) - An amicable solution to the commercial dispute between Airbus and Qatar Airways appears to be elusive, with the European aircraft manufacturing group annulling the remainder of the contract between the two companies and canceling the delivery of 19 A350 aircraft. .

After canceling a delivery of 50 A-321s in January, Airbus has ended the rest of its contract with Qatar Airways to deliver 19 A-350s, a source familiar with the matter said. Information reported by the press.

Neither Airbus nor the Qatari group wanted to comment on the information immediately.

The case dates back to August 2021, when the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority ordered "Qatar Airways" to ground 13 Airbus A-350 aircraft due to the rapid deterioration of their exterior surfaces.

Since then, the number of planes that have been grounded has risen to 23, according to the latest census conducted in April, while Qatar Airways has claimed compensation of $200,000 per plane for every day the planes stopped working.

But Airbus is challenging the diagnosis of the Qatari authorities and the airline, which is one of its biggest customers.

For Airbus, which acknowledges that a decomposition of the paintwork may reveal an integral metal grille intended to protect the aircraft in the event of a lightning strike, this situation has no impact on flight safety.

Also, the European Aviation Safety Agency confirms that these paint degradations do not imply any hazards related to the operation of the aircraft.

For its part, Qatar Airways demanded compensation of $618 million before the High Court in London, in addition to compensation for the aircraft's grounding.

The trial is scheduled for June 2023. Meanwhile, Airbus responded by canceling the Qatari company's order to buy 50 A-321 aircraft worth more than $6 billion.