Engine Issues Ground Cathay Pacific A350 Fleet

Cathay Pacific Airways grounded 15 Airbus A350 planes to replace faulty engine components following an incident that led to an engine fire. Despite the disruptions, Rolls-Royce shares have rebounded and other airlines continue to operate similar models. Investigations into the exact cause are ongoing.

Cathay Pacific Airways took immediate action, grounding 15 Airbus A350 aircraft after discovering faulty engine parts. This followed an incident where an engine fire occurred on a Zurich-bound flight, necessitating an emergency return to Hong Kong.

The aircraft made a safe return after dumping fuel and discharging a fire bottle. Investigations indicated a fuel system leak might have caused the brief engine fire. The incident initially triggered a sharp decline in Rolls-Royce shares, although they rebounded quickly.

Rolls-Royce, in coordination with Cathay Pacific and safety investigators, is examining scorched engine parts to determine the root cause. Airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines have not halted their A350 operations but are taking precautionary measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)