Why are Qatar A350 grounded?

Qatar Airways grounded Airbus A350s over what it described as fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate” in the long-range aircraft. The airline had raised questions about the A350s' carbon composite fuselage, designed to make the twin-aisle aircraft lighter and cheaper to operate by burning less jet fuel.



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Qatar Airways grounded Airbus A350s over what it described as fuselages “degrading at an accelerated rate” in the long-range aircraft. The airline had raised questions about the A350s' carbon composite fuselage, designed to make the twin-aisle aircraft lighter and cheaper to operate by burning less jet fuel.

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Airbus A350s that have been on the ground for about a year are flying passengers once again. In August 2021, we reported that Qatar Airways had grounded 13 of its Airbus A350 aircraft on the advice of regulators. By January 2023, about 30 aircraft had been parked.

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While the 777X offers unrivalled dimensions, advanced materials, and cutting-edge engine technology, the A350 shines with its lightweight composite airframe, advanced aerodynamics, and superior fuel efficiency.

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Aerodynamics. Talking of the wings, they play a massive part in the aerodynamic gains in the A350 design. What makes them so special is the way they've been designed to morph in flight, changing shape for maximum aerodynamic efficiency throughout the different phases of the journey.

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The A350-900 has a 665 nautical mile advantage in range, while the 787-9 has a lighter maximum take-off weight by 62,408 pounds. The A350-900 offers more seating in a typical configuration, which we would expect to result in a lower seat-mile cost.

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The global A350 fleet had completed more than 1,175,000 flights on more than 1070 routes without accidents. It succeeds the A340 and competes against Boeing's large long-haul twinjets: the Boeing 787, the Boeing 777, and its successor, the 777X.

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The problem is that it's almost the exact same size as the 777–300 and most of the airlines that are interested already have the 777–300 in their fleet. Airbus also said that for roughly the first ~2 years of A350 production that they would only build -900's, which scared off a lot of potential -1000 buyers.

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Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Thursday, Australian Transport Minister Catherine King said invasive body searches of female passengers, including five Australian women, at Hamad International Airport in 2020 was context for the decision to deny the airline more flights to Australia in July this year.

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The A350 comes with larger and better positioned screens, providing enhanced visibility of information across the cockpit and extended interactivity for the Flight Crew.

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The aircraft incorporates advanced noise reduction technologies and sound-insulating materials to minimize engine noise and vibrations. The result is an overall remarkably quiet cabin environment.

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Range and flexibility. Surprisingly, for all its size, the A380 can't go as far as the A350. The A350-1000 can travel more than 1,000 km (540 NM) further than the A380. Singapore Airlines has a special 'ultra-long-range' (ULR) A350-900, which operates on the longest route in the world, from Singapore to New York JFK.

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Haven't flown those on BA, but the A350 is much quieter than the B777 and would be my choice for that reason alone. You're also likely to have a newer cabin, unless BA refurbished the 777s. Our flight between Denver and Heathrow is on an A350.

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The Bottom Line: The Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 are very similar aircraft, suited for similar missions. As one would expect, the slightly larger A350-900 has a seat-mile cost advantage, while the 787-9 has an advantage in cost per block hour. These aircraft are competitive, and nearly tie in economic performance.

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