Airbus is said to have cancelled a contract with Qatar Airways for a fourth A350 aircraft on Tuesday.
Boeing rival, Airbus told a UK court that Qatar Airways has suggested that a provisional agreement to purchase up to 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has expired, as reported by Reuters.
The agreement, signed in Washington in January, is one of several related contracts that are currently the subject of litigation in London between Airbus and the national carrier regarding a larger plane.
After the airline mentioned it as part of its request for reimbursement for damage to the A350, which is now valued at $1.4 billion, Airbus demanded a copy of the Boeing 737 MAX agreement.
However, Qatar Airways denied the request on the basis that the Boeing contract had “expired,” according to a UK court document from Airbus.
Qatar Airways declined a Doha News request to comment on the matter, while Boeing declined a similar Reuters request.
Sources that spoke to Reuters said preliminary contracts or Memoranda of Understandings of the sort signed in January may be renewed or firmed up depending on objectives between both parties.
However, they are normally only valid for a limited time.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker stated last month that the airline expected to confirm the purchase of 25 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft with 25 more options.
Airbus withdrew from a deal to provide Qatar with smaller A321neo aircrafts as a result of Qatar’s refusal to accept more Airbus A350s, due to a dispute about damage to the aircraft’s painted skin.
Currently, a debate over whether the Boeing contract may be included in the UK legal dispute erupted after Qatar placed a provisional order for the Boeing 737 MAX, a plane that competes with the A321neo.
In preparation for a full trial scheduled for mid-2023, a British judge on Thursday heard arguments over the disclosure of documents.
Airbus A350 order cancellation
In the midst of an ongoing dispute between the two aviation giants, Airbus is said to have cancelled a contract with Qatar Airways for a fourth A350 aircraft, according to three persons familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday.
The news source claims that the agreement to buy that plane was cancelled in late June, and agreements to buy a fifth and sixth plane are anticipated to be terminated by the end of this month and later this year, respectively.
The latest event is tied to a long-running dispute that has rocked the aviation sector between the French aircraft manufacturer and the national airline of Qatar.
