Cathay Pacific Airways recently conducted thorough inspections on all its Airbus A350 aircraft following an incident where an engine part failure occurred mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing. The airline identified 15 planes within its Airbus A350 fleet that required component replacements after an engine fire was quickly extinguished by the crew of a Zurich-bound A350-1000.
The situation arose due to a fuel system leak, causing a brief engine fire that led to the return of the A350-1000 to Hong Kong soon after take-off. Aviation Herald reported that the crew acted promptly by releasing fuel and returning to base after confirming a fire in one of the Rolls-Royce engines. This occurrence led to a market reaction, with Rolls-Royce seeing a significant decline in shares initially, which later rebounded as concerns eased over potential implications for the broader fleet.
Despite the inspections and necessary repairs, Cathay Pacific faced flight cancellations and disruptions, affecting at least 34 round-trip flights. The incident, while highlighting rare engine problems, prompted ongoing monitoring and response from various airlines like Japan Airlines seeking further information from Rolls-Royce. Besides cathay pacific, Other major operators of the A350-1000 and A350-900 planes continued their flights. Including Qatar Airways, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Etihad Airways, and JAL.