FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2015 record photo, a caller Qatar Airways Airbus A350 approaches the gross astatine the airdrome successful Frankfurt, Germany. Qatar Airways said Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, that it has grounded 13 Airbus A350s implicit degradation of the plane's fuselage, further escalating a monthslong quality with the European airplane maker. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2015 record photo, a caller Qatar Airways Airbus A350 approaches the gross astatine the airdrome successful Frankfurt, Germany. Qatar Airways said Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, that it has grounded 13 Airbus A350s implicit degradation of the plane's fuselage, further escalating a monthslong quality with the European airplane maker. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

DUBAI – Qatar Airways said Thursday it grounded 13 Airbus A350s implicit what it described arsenic fuselages “degrading astatine an accelerated rate” successful the long-range aircraft, further escalating a monthslong quality with the European airplane shaper implicit the issue.

While Airbus declined to specifically sermon the announcement, Qatar Airways' determination to crushed the craft raised questions astir the A350s' c composite fuselage, designed to marque the twin-aisle craft lighter and cheaper to run by burning little pitchy fuel. Qatar Airways besides is 1 of the world's apical operators of the aircraft.

In its statement, Qatar Airways said it had been monitoring the degradation beneath the overgarment connected the fuselage of the craft for immoderate time. It described the contented arsenic a “significant condition,” without elaborating.

“Following the explicit written acquisition of its regulator, 13 craft person present been grounded, efficaciously removing them from work until specified clip arsenic the basal origin tin beryllium established and a satisfactory solution made disposable to permanently close the underlying condition,” the hose said successful its statement.

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Qatar Airways has a fleet of 53 Airbus A350s successful some its 1000 and 900 series. The hose has different connected bid with the Toulouse, France-based airplane manufacturer, making its full bid of 76 craft — the astir of immoderate hose worldwide. In June, Qatar Airways said it wouldn't instrumentality immoderate much A350s unless the occupation was fixed.

Airbus declined to specifically sermon Qatar Airways' grounding.

“As a starring craft shaper we are ever successful talks / moving with our customers,” a connection said. "Those talks we support confidential. We person nary further remark connected our customer’s operations.“

Currently, Singapore Airlines is the world's apical relation of the A350, with 56 present successful its fleet. The hose said it “has not experienced the issues reported.” In America, Delta Air Lines has 15 successful its fleet. The Atlanta-based bearer did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The A350 has a database terms arsenic overmuch arsenic $366.5 million, though buyers often get discounts successful bulk deals.

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Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar al-Baker, is known for his hard-changing, confrontational attack successful negotiating with manufacturers and others.

The hose volition beryllium the important bearer for fans attending the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup successful this Arabian Peninsula country.

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Follow Jon Gambrell connected Twitter astatine www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.