Cathay Pacific Grounds A350 Fleet Over Engine Issues

Cathay Pacific Airways inspected its Airbus A350 fleet following an in-flight engine component failure on flight CX383. A fuel nozzle issue in the Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engine was identified. As a result, 15 aircraft need engine component replacements, and several short-haul flights were cancelled. The investigation is ongoing.

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways announced a comprehensive inspection of its entire Airbus A350 fleet on Tuesday after an engine component failure occurred during a flight. The affected engine, manufactured by Rolls-Royce, malfunctioned shortly after take-off, forcing the plane to return to Hong Kong.

The issue arose minutes into flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich, as the A350-1000 aircraft released fuel over the sea and executed wide circles before safely landing back in Hong Kong. This incident marks the first of its kind for the Airbus A350, specifically involving a fuel nozzle in the XWB-97 engine.

Cathay Pacific confirmed that out of its 18 A350-1000 planes, 15 require engine component replacements, with three already undergoing repairs. The airline assured that long-haul services would remain unaffected, though it cancelled 34 short-haul flights through Wednesday. Rolls-Royce pledged full cooperation in the investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)