According to a Reuters report, on December 20, Qatar Airways stated that it has sued Airbus in a British court due to a series of problems such as the blistering and peeling of the A350 paint and the corrosion damage of the lightning protection layer. For months, the two companies have been arguing over the issue of A350 aircraft coating.

Qatar Airways said: "This problem has caused 21 A350 aircraft to be grounded by its domestic regulatory agencies." At the same time, Airbus insisted: "Despite some surface paint peeling problems, carbon composite passenger aircraft can still fly safely." According to relevant data, Qatar Airways is the largest order customer for the A350, and the grounded 21 aircraft account for 40% of the A350's existing fleet. It is reported that other airlines are still operating this aircraft, saying that its airworthiness is not affected by appearance issues.