Airbus and Qatar Airways are moving towards an agreement to end their dispute over the A350, two sources close to the matter reported on Tuesday.

The two groups are engaged in a legal battle as the Doha-based airline, citing a safety issue, accuses Airbus of design defects (paint degradation, erosion of the protective layer) on its A350 aircraft.

But two sources indicated that the tone between the two groups seemed to be calmer, and that negotiations were gathering pace following an uneventful meeting between the two parties and their respective representatives in Doha last week.

"There will be an agreement," said one of the sources, while the other cautioned that discussions were still ongoing.

Airbus and Qatar Airways had no immediate comment. (Reported by Tim Hepher, Michel Rose and Andrew Mills, Blandine Hénault for the French version, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse)