Cathay Pacific grounds A350 fleet over engine concerns

Dhaka: Cathay Pacific Airways announces to ground its A350-1000 fleet over engine concerns. The Hong Kong based airline identified an engine component failure on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on September 2, as per reports.

 “This component was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide. A thorough inspection of our 48-plane fleet revealed a number of the same engine components need to be replaced,” said reports citing the airline.

According to reports, the airline released the following statement: “Following the inflight return involving Cathay Pacific flight CX383 to Zurich earlier on September 2, we identified an engine component failure in the A350 aircraft in question.”

“Cathay Pacific has fully complied with all maintenance requirements of the engine manufacturer and stringent maintenance procedures are in place to ensure that our fleet is always operated safely. This component was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide.”

“We immediately brought this issue to the attention of the aircraft and engine manufacturers as well as our regulators.  As a precautionary measure, we proactively initiated a fleet-wide inspection of our 48 A350 aircraft. This thorough inspection process is well underway and will be completed today. Thus far, we have identified a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced, spare parts have been secured and repair work is underway.”

The airline has cancelled 24 return flights operating up until the end of September 3.

Whether the move will lead to a global grounding of the A350 depends on the engine hours and the model of the engine. The engine in focus is the Rolls Royce Trent XWB-97 and at this stage, it is estimated the issue is limited to this engine type.

“Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection. Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work,” concluded Keith Brown, Engineering Director, Cathay.

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