In the lawsuit between Qatar Airways, Airbus lost the first round. The airline filed a $350 billion lawsuit over security issues in Airbus' A1,4 aircraft.
British judge David Waksman did not accept Airbus' request to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Qatar Airways, citing French law.
Qatar Airways had filed a lawsuit demanding $350 billion on the grounds that there was a fault in the paint and lightning protection systems on the surface for the “A1,4” type passenger aircraft, which it purchased from the Airbus (AIR.PA) company headquartered in France.
Qatar Airways argues that these planes pose a "security risk", while Airbus considers that even if there are quality deficiencies, they do not constitute "weaknesses for security".
Following the British court's decision today to hear the case on the merits, the parties must prepare their defenses that will take thousands of pages for the new hearings that will start in the middle of 2023.
At the hearing in April, Airbus expressed the opinion that Qatar Airways was unable to present some of the documents it requested, citing the law passed in France in 1968 that prohibits “delivery of details regarding sensitive economic matters to foreign courts”.
Airbus had applied to the British judiciary to appoint a special representative to present the documents to Qatar Airways, as it had previously done to assist the British authorities in a bribery investigation.
In his defense to the court, he argued that if he did not do this, he could be prosecuted for committing a crime against the company under French law.
However, the British judge, David Waksman, did not accept Airbus's defense to that effect.
The law, which was adopted in France in 1968, aims to prevent French companies from being tried in courts abroad during the post-cold war economic period. (Euronews)
Be the first to comment