Qatar Airways loses UK court bid to force Airbus to supply A321neo

Ruling means planemaker is free to market small jets elsewhere, but wider dispute continues

The UK's high court has denied a request by Qatar Airways to force Airbus to keep building A321neo jetliners for the airline as part of a wider public $1bn (786m) bust-up that has implications for other future multibillion-dollar jet deals.

The preliminary ruling by a UK judge means the European plane manufacturer is free to market the popular smaller jets to other carriers, while the two sides remain locked in a separate disagreement over the safety of larger A350 jets.