Grande scontro tra Qatar e Airbus. Ma forse poi ricominceranno a volersi bene…

(Simple Flying)

Airbus has won a legal battle to resell Qatar Airways' undelivered A350s, opening the door to a new customer swooping in for the produced widebody. So who could be in contention for the planes? From Lufthansa to Air India, several carriers have been rumored to be eying the jet.


© Provided by SimpleFlyingWhat Will Happen To Qatar Airways’ Outstanding Airbus A350 Orders?
Parked and stored

In two weeks, we will reach the one-year anniversary of Qatar Airways halting all Airbus A350 deliveries until the surface degradation issues are not acknowledged and resolved. Since then, the war of words has only devolved and is now headed for trial next year unless the two sides reach a settlement.

While the A380 has returned for added capacity, QR has been signing deals with Boeing instead. Photo: Airbus

However, it's not all bad news for Airbus. This week, the court allowed the European giant to resell A350s built for Qatar Airways to any new customers, saving millions in lost revenue. Now, Airbus is looking for airlines that either way to expedite deliveries or grow their operations quickly.
Lufthansa

Already an A350-900 customer, Lufthansa is currently considering it wants to add the larger -1000 variant to its fleet. The German giant has already said it is looking to take up Aeroflot's produced A359s, meaning that Airbus is likely to be pursuing a deal for the -1000s now.

Usually, airlines spend years analyzing which aircraft will suit their markets and then wait for even more to get a delivery slot from the planemaker. However, the pandemic means Lufthansa shed lots of widebody capacity, and Airbus suddenly has three jets ready to go and slots for 17 more in the future.

The A350-1000 would easily slot into Lufthansa's operations given the lack of pilot training needed. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Air India

Another potential customer for the 20 A350-1000s is Air India. Recently purchased by the Tata Group conglomerate, the carrier is in desperate need of fleet modernization and expansion to grow its international business. Airbus is hoping for a widebody deal in India too, with the plane recently making a tour of the country before potential customers (and Simple Flying staff!).

Airbus came to show off its A350-900 in Delhi and Hyderabad last week as it hopes to end Boeing's control of the market. Photo: Gaurav Joshi | Simple Flying

While a business case for the A350s at Air India is feasible, an important consideration is set-up time. Approval for a new aircraft type in the country could take a while and hiring fresh pilots and crews will be an expensive process. Given that the airline is still in the early phases of its turnaround, such a large order may not come at the right time.
A resolution

The most likely customer for Qatar Airways' undelivered A350s is.....Qatar Airways. Were a settlement to occur between the pair, these planes could easily be sent to Doha and back on track. While the relationship may be acrimonious right now, things can change quickly as both sides face mounting economic pressure from the struggle. For now, keep an eye out for Airbus' next move with these jets.