Photo: airbus.com
< p>According to Airbus, perforated copper foil will replace foamed copper foil — a layer of material between the fuselage and paint to protect the aircraft from lightning strikes.
Airbus spokesman said: “Perforated copper foil is already being used on A350 tail parts shipped from late 2022.”
On January 19, 2023, a preliminary hearing was held in London between Qatar Airways and Airbus. Airbus's decision to start work on the A350's design changes is significant to the ongoing lawsuit, according to a London High Court judge.
In late 2021, Qatar Airways and Airbus started a dispute over surface wear on A350 aircraft and related safety issues. The airline hoped to earn an estimated $600 million in compensation for the A350's fuselage paint loss too early. The airline paid special attention to peeling paint, which revealed wear and holes in the metal backing on the body designed to protect against lightning strikes.
Airbus even announced the cancellation of a delivery of 50 A321neo aircraft to Qatar Airways in response to controversy. In April 2022, Airbus won in court and now has every reason to refuse to transfer the Qatari A321neo.
Moreover, in the erosion case the court also sided with Airbus and allowed the company to sell the A350 to other customers because the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified the aircraft as safe to fly.
According to the European Aviation Safety Agency, A350 aircraft paint and quality deterioration surfaces do not pose a safety risk.
In May 2022, the High Court of London ruled that the next trial would take place in June 2023 on an expedited basis.