Two high-tech Airbus A350s perched on the floor in a brightly-lit hangar, their windows and engines covered, after an international legal dispute between the European plane giant and Qatar Airways kept them motionless.
From the distance, the two planes might look like any of the long-haul planes that swarm Doha's busy airport.
But a rare visit by Reuters reporters to the site showed what appeared to be evidence of surface damage to some parts of the wings, tail and fuselage of the two planes.
The two planes, which together are worth about $300 million according to analysts, are just two of 23 of the same model in a court battle in London over whether the damages represent a potential safety risk.
The Qatari company is seeking damages of one billion dollars.
The Qatar Aviation Regulatory Authority ordered the aircraft to be banned from flying after early corrosion in the paint damaged a metal layer underneath, which is meant to provide protection for the fuselage from lightning strikes.
However, other airlines continue to operate the aircraft after European regulators declared the aircraft safe to fly.
A two-plane visit
Reuters journalists were able to make a rare visit to the hangar and inspect the two planes directly after applying on the sidelines of an aviation sector meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, this week.
Reuters reporters saw isolated surface defects on both planes, including what appeared to be a strip of corroded, cracked or flaking paint along the roof of the planes.
Damage to the roof of one of the two planes parked outside the maintenance hangar (Reuters)
In some parts, including the curved ends of the wings, the lightning protection net between the hull and the paint is exposed and corroded.
In other parts, the network seemed to be nonexistent as well, leaving parts of the body exposed to environmental factors.
The paint on the tail of one of the planes, decorated with the maroon logo of Qatar Airways' Arabian Oryx, was cracked and peeled, exposing the layer below.
Reuters saw small parts of what appeared to be frayed or loose carbon threads on the fuselage, as well as peeling paint over screw heads on key parts of the wings.
Airbus and Qatar Airways had no immediate comment on the results of the Reuters visit.
Quality defects
Airbus acknowledges that there are quality flaws in the planes, but denies that they pose any safety risks with enough back-up support systems and the level of durability of the aircraft design.
Qatar Airways says this cannot be verified until more tests are conducted, and it is also refusing to take delivery of more planes.
For its part, Airbus says some paint wear is a feature of the carbon-composite technology used to build all its long-haul aircraft, a necessary compromise in exchange for the weight savings advantage.
Superficial damage to one of the two planes parked outside the maintenance hangar (Reuters)
She adds that the cracks are caused by the way the coating reacts with lightning-fighting materials known as "ICF" (ICF) and other elements.
The entire tail does not contain ECF, which raises the debate over whether the damage was caused by the same problem.
Qatar Airways disputed Airbus' explanation, telling a British court that its Boeing 787s had no such problems.
Both sides submitted technical documents in hundreds of pages to the court, and Reuters has not independently verified the cause of the damage.
Airbus acknowledges quality defects in grounded planes (Reuters)
meeting in Doha
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury had an opportunity to meet and exchange parties during the 3-day meeting of industry leaders in Qatar this week.
In response to a question about whether the relationship improved after the occasion that brought the two men together over a dinner, Al-Baker indicated that the two sides are still at odds.
"On a personal level, I'm a friend of everyone but when it comes to a problem with my company, it's a different matter. If things are sorted out, we won't need to wait for the case to be discussed in court next year," he told a news conference.
This week, Guillaume Faury spoke of "progress in terms of communication" and told Bloomberg that his company is working "very hard trying to find a solution, but it's not an easy situation to address, so I want to remain optimistic."
"I think we will find a way forward, and since the relationship between the two sides on a personal level is good, the two companies need to find some kind of solution," Faury added.