Cathay Pacific Airways has informed the public in a shock announcement that their A350-1000 fleet will be grounded while engine concerns are addressed.

In a statement to CNN, the airline said it identified an engine component failure on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday, September 2nd. The airline added, “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”.

The airline released the following statement….

“Following the inflight return involving Cathay Pacific flight CX383 to Zurich earlier today, 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.” 

AirlineRatings.com CEO Geoffrey Thomas states, “Cathay Pacific is rigorous in its pursuit of safety. Its record is impeccable thus it’s of no surprise that it has taken such swift action”.

When asked whether this will lead to a global grounding of the A350 Mr Thomas said, “This 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, we believe the issue is limited to this engine type”.

The airline has cancelled 24 return flights operating up until the end of Tuesday

Cathay engineering director Keith Brown said the company was liaising with Hong Kong's aviation authorities and the aircraft and engine manufacturers.

"Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection," Brown said, according to the statement.
"Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work”.

READ: Cathay debuts A350-1000 in Australia