Cathay Pacific Begins Inspections on Airbus A350 Fleet After Engine Issue
Cathay Pacific Airways has initiated inspections across its Airbus A350 fleet following an in-flight engine component failure, impacting shares of its engine supplier, Rolls-Royce. The incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Hong Kong on flight CX383, led to the cancellation of 24 return flights and grounded several aircraft for a precautionary check, expected to last several days.
The problem appeared to manifest shortly after the aircraft, an A350-1000 powered by Rolls-Royce’s XWB-97 engine, departed for Zurich. According to Flightradar24, the plane performed two wide circles over the sea before safely returning to Hong Kong approximately 75 minutes later. This marked the first instance of such a failure on any A350 worldwide, prompting immediate action from the airline.
Cathay reported securing spare parts and commencing repairs, specifically on a problematic fuel nozzle—a component directing fuel inside the engine. Industry experts suggest such failures are uncommon and typically less concerning than those involving major rotating parts, like turbine blades, but could still lead to significant disruptions if broader inspections are required.
The incident has triggered investigations by Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, with support from Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is monitoring the situation, indicating potential fleet-wide actions depending on the investigation’s findings.
Cathay, one of the largest operators of the A350-1000, alongside British Airways and behind Qatar Airways, continues to coordinate closely with Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and aviation authorities to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of its fleet.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com