Cathay continues its inspection of its entire A350 fleet after a flight to Zurich was forced to turn back to Hong Kong.

Following the inflight return of Cathay Pacific CX383, a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich that encountered a technical malfunction of a Trent XWB turbofan engine component on 2 September, 2024, the airline has temporarily grounded its A350 fleet for further inspection.

Complying with all maintenance requirements of the engine manufacturer and the stringent maintenance procedures in place, the airline grounded its fleet of 48 Airbus A350 aircraft for inspection, a process that is expected to be completed by Saturday, 7 September.

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The inspection has already identified 15 aircraft with the same engine component – an engine fuel line – that needed to be replaced, a process that is on-going. This engine component was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide and the announcement of the issue caused a downturn for the stocks of engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.

As a result of the inspection, a number of aircraft will be out of service for several days, affecting Cathay Pacific’s operating schedules. This included the cancellation of 24 return flights operating up until the end of today and a further 11 return fight cancellations between 5-7 September (the airline expects a total of 45 return flights between 2 to 7 September, all but two of which were to regional destinations); all affected customers have been informed and provided with alternate travel arrangements.

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“At Cathay, safety of our customers and our people guides every decision we make,” says Cathay Director Engineering Keith Brown. “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. Meanwhile, we are liaising with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the aircraft and engine manufacturers. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding.”

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