Cathay Pacific has grounded 15 of its Airbus A350 aircraft following the discovery of a component failure in one of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. The issue was detected minutes after the aircraft took off from Hong Kong, prompting the airline to cancel several flights. The Hong Kong-based carrier announced that it expects to cancel a total of 34 return flights through to Wednesday, with further cancellations possible depending on the outcomes of ongoing inspections.
The airline conducted an inspection of its entire fleet of 48 Rolls-Royce-powered A350s and identified 15 aircraft with similar engine components that need replacement. While repairs on three of the affected planes have been completed, Cathay Pacific expects all grounded aircraft to resume operations by Saturday. Rolls-Royce, the engine manufacturer, confirmed the issue and stated it is working closely with Cathay Pacific, Airbus, and relevant authorities to address the problem.
The component failure is reportedly linked to a fuel nozzle inside the Trent XWB-97 engine, the model used in the Airbus A350-1000. Rolls-Royce has assured other airlines using the same engines that they are being kept fully informed of developments. The incident has prompted Hong Kong authorities to launch an investigation into the failure, with Rolls-Royce providing full cooperation.
Shares of Rolls-Royce plummeted by 6.5% on the London Stock Exchange following news of the engine failure, making it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 index on Monday. However, the stock partially recovered on Tuesday, rising by 4.5%. Meanwhile, other operators of the Airbus A350-1000, including Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, appear to be operating their fleets without disruption.
Cathay Pacific has not disclosed the specific engine component that failed but confirmed that this is the first instance of such a failure on any A350 aircraft globally. The airline is working closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure the safety and reliability of its fleet. The A350-1000 is a key aircraft for Cathay Pacific, which operates a total of 48 A350s in its fleet. As Cathay Pacific works to resolve the issue, the airline has assured passengers that it is taking all necessary precautions to ensure their safety. The airline expects normal operations to resume by September 7, once all affected aircraft have been inspected and repaired.