Cathay Pacific’s A350 Fleet Faces Engine Issues Following Malfunction

Cathay Pacific Faces Engine Issues with Airbus A350 Fleet

In a significant operational setback, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s leading airline, announced on Tuesday that it has identified repair needs for 15 of its Airbus A350 aircraft following an engine component failure on a flight en route to Zurich. The airline promptly conducted inspections of its entire fleet of 48 Airbus A350 planes, revealing that three of the affected aircraft had been successfully repaired by Tuesday afternoon.

The recent troubles began when one of the A350 planes took off from Hong Kong International Airport on Monday, only to experience a serious malfunction shortly after. The aircraft had to dump fuel over the sea for approximately thirty minutes before safely returning to the airport.

Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of the Trent XWB-97 engine used in these A350 aircraft, confirmed that Cathay Pacific has secured the necessary spare parts to replace the failed components. Following the incident, Rolls-Royce’s stock experienced a decline of 6.5 percent on Monday, primarily due to uncertainty surrounding the cause of the failure. However, the stock began to recover on Tuesday.

Warren Chim Wing-nin, deputy chairman of the aircraft division at the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, remarked, “Rolls-Royce will now be in a better position to analyze and determine the root causes of the failure and will subsequently inform Cathay and other operators about the necessary next steps.”

While Cathay Pacific has not disclosed specific details regarding the failed engine component, the airline did highlight that this particular failure is the “first of its kind to occur on any A350 aircraft globally.”

• Numerous airlines around the world operate the Airbus A350.
• In addition to Cathay Pacific, major airlines with substantial A350 fleets include:
• Singapore Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Air France
• Delta Air Lines
• Air China

Qatar Airways, which operates a fleet of 58 Airbus A350 aircraft, stated that its operations have not been impacted but emphasized that it is “continuing to monitor any developments” related to the incident. Other airlines with A350 fleets have not yet responded to inquiries regarding their operational status.

Meanwhile, Chinese media outlets reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China is assessing whether inspections of A350 engines are necessary for domestic carriers, which include Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines.

Airbus, renowned as the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, has maintained its prestigious position for five consecutive years, especially as its main competitor, Boeing, continues to grapple with challenges related to its 737 Max series of airliners.

Notably, the engine component failure on Cathay Pacific’s A350 on Monday marks the second engine-related incident within a span of three days for the airline. Prior to this, one of its Airbus A330 planes was unable to take off from a runway in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, due to what the airline described as a technical issue.