Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has made the decision to temporarily ground its entire fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft for thorough inspections. This move comes in the wake of an unprecedented engine component failure that forced a flight to Zurich to turn back on Monday.
Cathay Pacific is conducting a comprehensive fleet-wide inspection of all 48 Airbus A350 aircraft in its possession. This process will result in a significant number of aircraft being taken out of service for several days. As a consequence, the airline has been forced to cancel 24 return flights until the end of Tuesday. The cancellations have impacted a wide range of destinations, including Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, and Osaka.
The incident that triggered this action involved a Cathay Pacific flight to Zurich on Monday. The aircraft was forced to return to its point of origin due to an engine component failure. Although the airline did not specify the exact component that failed, it emphasized that this was the first instance of such a failure on any A350 aircraft globally.
A precautionary inspection of the entire A350 fleet has revealed that a number of the same engine components require replacement. Cathay Pacific’s engineering director, Keith Brown, has confirmed that the company is closely coordinating with Hong Kong’s aviation authorities, as well as the aircraft and engine manufacturers. “Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection,” Brown stated. “Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work.”
Cathay Pacific is one of the largest operators of the A350 jet worldwide. In response to the incident, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce issued a statement expressing its commitment to “working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their investigation into this incident”. Rolls-Royce shares experienced a significant decline of 6.47 percent in London trading on Monday.
Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce announced its intention to invest over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) to upgrade its line of commercial aircraft engines. In November of last year, Emirates chief executive Tim Clark publicly expressed concerns regarding the durability and longevity of A350 engines. Rolls-Royce has defended its Trent XWB-97 engine, which is used in the larger A350 variant, and has stated that it is taking proactive steps to enhance the engine’s durability.
Just last month, Cathay Pacific revealed plans to acquire up to 60 Airbus A330-900 jetliners, a move that will further expand its fleet, which currently comprises over 230 aircraft. The airline has expressed its confidence in reaching 100 percent of its pre-pandemic passenger levels by the first quarter of next year, after navigating the challenges posed by a manpower shortage.
