Cathay Pacific is conducting urgent inspections across its fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft after an engine component failure occurred during a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich. This incident marks the first time such a failure has been reported on an A350 aircraft anywhere in the world, leading to a significant operational impact on the airline.
Scheduled flight CX383, operated by an Airbus A350 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, encountered an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Hong Kong International Airport. The aircraft was forced to return to Hong Kong after dumping fuel over the sea for approximately 30 minutes to the southeast of the airport, according to global flight tracking service Flight Radar.
In a statement, Cathay Pacific emphasized that they promptly reported the issue to the aircraft and engine manufacturers, as well as to regulatory authorities. As a precautionary measure, the airline has initiated a comprehensive inspection of all 48 A350 aircraft in its fleet. So far, 15 aircraft have been identified as requiring remedial action, with repairs successfully completed on three of them.
“We have identified several engine components that need replacement. Spare parts have been secured, and repair work is currently in progress,” the airline stated. Keith Brown, Cathay Pacific’s Director of Engineering, confirmed that the airline is in continuous communication with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce, while unable to comment on the ongoing investigation, confirmed that the necessary spare parts have been secured and that replacements can be made with the engine still on the wing.
The incident has led to significant operational disruptions for Cathay Pacific. To date, the airline has canceled 24 return flights. While no additional cancellations are expected as of September 3, around ten more regional return flights will be impacted from September 4 onward. Cathay Pacific anticipates that all affected aircraft will be back in service by September 7.
According to Flight Radar 24, 45% of the canceled flights have impacted operations at Hong Kong International Airport. Other destinations affected include Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, and Sydney.
Cathay Pacific is working diligently to minimize the disruption to its passengers and expects normal operations to resume within the week.
