Cathay Pacific Grounds entire A350 Fleet Over Engine Defect, Cancels Multiple Flights

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has taken the unprecedented step of grounding its entire Airbus A350 fleet following the in-flight failure of an engine component on one of its aircraft.

The incident occurred on a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich, where an a350-1000 model was forced to return to Hong Kong on Monday morning due to the engine issue. In response to the incident, Cathay Pacific swiftly inspected all 48 of its Rolls-Royce-powered A350 aircraft, uncovering that 15 of them required component replacements.

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The airline confirmed that three of these aircraft had already undergone successful repairs. Despite the urgency of the situation, Cathay Pacific has stated that it expects all affected jets to return to service by Saturday.

As a result of these inspections and necessary repairs, Cathay Pacific has had to cancel at least 34 round-trip flights, affecting routes to major destinations including Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, and Osaka. This disruption has caused significant inconvenience to passengers and highlights the airline’s commitment to safety and precaution.

The airline revealed that the engine component failure identified on the Zurich-bound flight was the first of its kind to occur on any a350 size comparison aircraft worldwide. This led to a precautionary fleet-wide inspection, which confirmed the need for immediate component replacements on multiple aircraft. Each of the grounded planes is undergoing rigorous inspection and maintenance, with cleared aircraft returning to service as repairs are completed.

Cathay Pacific, one of the largest operators of the A350, has been working closely with Rolls-Royce, the engine manufacturer, and relevant authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly. Rolls-Royce has expressed its commitment to supporting the investigation and ensuring the safety and reliability of the engines.