In a complaint filed on December 1 in the U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, Airbus claims that Aviation Partners “has stated repeatedly...that Airbus’s winglet falls within the claims of the [Aviation Partners winglet] patent, and that Airbus must therefore pay API a royalty for its allegedly infringing design.”

The complaint notes, “API’s threats are a significant hindrance to Airbus and, without an early resolution, place Airbus at a competitive disadvantage.”

Airbus is seeking a jury trial to resolve the issues in the complaint.