Cathay Pacific on Sep 2 announced the cancellation of 48 flights, as the Hong Kong’s flag carrier started a fleet-wide inspection of its Airbus A350s as a precautionary measure after discovering an engine component failure on one of its long-haul planes.
The airline said that following the emergency landing in Hong Kong of its flight to Zurich on Monday, Cathay Pacific would be grounding some of its state-of-the-art Airbus A350 widebody aircraft to carry out urgent engine inspections.
The airline said that a subsequent inspection of the engine identified a failure of a specific engine component but did not specifically state which engine component sustained issues.
The only engine option for Airbus A350 aircraft is the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine. Cathay Pacific is amongst one of the largest operators of the Airbus A350 in the world with 48 of the aircraft currently in its fleet. The airline also operates 30 Airbus A350-900 and 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
Cathay Pacific issued a statement to state that it “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. This thorough inspection process is well underway, 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.”
The airline further said, “Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection. Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding.”
For now, several aircraft will be out of service for the next few days while the inspection is being done. While this will certainly affect Cathay Pacific’s operating schedules, the airline assures the public that this is proof of its commitment of minimise disruptions for customers.
Flights cancelled include those to Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo. The Hong Kong-Singapore service is a flagship leg for Cathay, and a key route for regional connectivity, plied daily by hundreds of business people and other travellers. Of those Cathay Pacific flights which are still running currently, none are on an A350 aircraft.
