Cathay Pacific lands plane after engine failure
Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific has cancelled dozens of flights after a plane flying from the city to Zurich was forced to turn back due to “an engine failure”.
The company said it had inspected all 48 of its Airbus A350s and found 15 planes had faulty parts that needed to be replaced.
The plane’s Trent XWB-97 engines are manufactured by British engineering giant Rolls-Royce.
Since Monday, Cathay Pacific has cancelled nearly 70 flights, including routes connecting Hong Kong with Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.
Cathay Pacific said the disruption would continue until at least Saturday.
“At Cathay, the safety of our customers and employees is at the heart of every decision we make,” the airline said.
“We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding.”
Airbus did not immediately respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Cathay Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A350 in 2016. The aircraft are powered by fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.
Rolls-Royce told BBC News it was “committed to working closely with airlines, aircraft manufacturers and relevant authorities to support their efforts”.
“In addition to providing support and guidance to Cathay Pacific, Rolls-Royce will also keep other airlines operating Trent XWB-97 engines fully informed of any relevant developments as necessary.”
Cathay Pacific’s A350 also serves destinations in Europe and North America.
In a statement, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it was “monitoring all information from the technical investigation and will take a decision on any actions at crew level as necessary”.
Other airlines operating the A350 include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines. The BBC has contacted the companies for comment.
This year, Rolls-Royce announced plans to invest heavily to improve its engine lineup, including the Trent XWB-97.
In 2023, Tim Clark, boss of Gulf airline Emirates, voiced concerns about Rolls-Royce’s engine durability and maintenance costs.
