Cathay Pacific has cancelled multiple flights over the next couple of days in order to carry out engine inspections on its Airbus A350 fleet.
The decision follows the in-flight return of an A350-1000 which had departed Hong Kong for Zurich on 2 September.
Flight CX383 touched down at Hong Kong about 1h 15min after take-off.
Cathay Pacific says it “identified an engine component failure” in the twinjet, adding that this component was “the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide”.
All A350s are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The -1000 is fitted with the XWB-97 version.
Cathay says it has initiated a fleetwide inspection of its 48 A350s, and advised both Airbus and Rolls-Royce, as well as civil aviation regulators. The carrier has not specified the component involved.
“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,” it states.
“As a result, a number of aircraft will be out of service for several days while this process is being completed and Cathay Pacific’s operating schedules will be affected.”
Cathay has cancelled 24 return flights operating over 2-4 September.
The carrier states that it has “fully complied” with all maintenance requirement of Rolls-Royce and “stringent” procedures are in place to ensure its fleet operates safely.
“Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection,” adds director of engineering Keith Brown.
“Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work.”
