Cathay Pacific Inspects A350 Fleet After Engine Component Failure

Cathay Pacific has initiated an inspection of all 48 of its Airbus A350s after a problem with an Trent XWB-97 engine component was discovered, resulting in flight cancelations.

The carrier said the component failure was identified after its flight CX383 to Zurich turned back to Hong Kong on Sept. 2. Cathay said this component “was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide.”

Cathay said it “proactively initiated a fleetwide inspection” of its A350s as a precautionary measure. This was expected to be completed on Sept. 2, and the carrier said it “identified a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced.”

The appropriate spare parts have been secured and repair work is being undertaken, the carrier said.

Aviation Week has approached Cathay to clarify which component failed.

A spokesperson for Rolls-Royce said: “We are aware of an incident involving Cathay Pacific flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich ... We are committed to working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their investigation into this incident.”

Airbus declined to comment on the incident.

Cathay has 18 A350-1000s powered by Trent XWB-97 engines and 30 A350-900s powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines, the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database shows.

The A350-1000 involved carries reg. B-LXI. Cathay took delivery of the aircraft in February 2019. It has since flown 22,036 hr. across 2,839 cycles.

As a result, some of the airline’s A350s are expected to be out of service for several days. So far, the airline has had to cancel 24 return flights through the end of Sept. 3.

“Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection,” said Keith Brown, Cathay’s director of engineering. “Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work.”

The carrier is liaising with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, Airbus and Rolls-Royce.