A problem unfolded several minutes after take-off on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar24.
Cathay Pacific said it identified an engine component failure after the aircraft returned to Hong Kong.
WHY DID THE A350 ENGINE FAIL?
Cathay Pacific has not specified which engine component failed, but the carrier said it was the “first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide”.
ARE ALL A350 ENGINES AFFECTED?
Cathay Pacific said the incident occurred on one of its 18 A350-1000 planes.
It also said it was committed to working closely with Cathay Pacific, Airbus and authorities conducting an investigation of the incident.
HOW MANY A350 AIRCRAFT COULD BE IMPACTED?
WHICH CATHAY PACIFIC FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED?
Cathay Pacific said on Tuesday it had cancelled at least 34 round-trip flights between Hong Kong and Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok and Singapore until the end of Wednesday.
AFTER THE FLIGHT: WHAT HAPPENED?
According to flight tracking service FlightRadar24, an issue arose on Monday on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich a few minutes after takeoff.
A safe landing occurred approximately seventy-five minutes after takeoff when the five-year-old A350-1000 plane made two wide circles and emptied fuel into the ocean.
Following the aircraft’s return to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific said it had discovered an engine component failure.
WHAT CAUSED THE A350 ENGINE TO FAIL?
Despite not disclosing the specific engine component that failed, Cathay Pacific claimed the aircraft was the “first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide.”.
The A350-1000 Rolls-Royce model, the XWB-97, had a fuel nozzle issue, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters.
ARE THERE MANY TYPES OF A350S?
Between 300 and 480 people can travel on board the Airbus A350, a twin-aisle long-haul aircraft. It is available in two sizes: the A350-900 and the larger A350-1000, and both are only capable of running Rolls-Royce engines.
WHICH ENGINE IS USED BY THE A350?
The largest civil jet engine made by Rolls-Royce, the Trent XWB-97, powers the A350-1000 and A350 freighter.
Trent XWB-84 engines power the more well-known A350-900.
ARE ALL A350 ENGINES IMPACTED?
According to Cathay Pacific, one of its eighteen A350-1000 aircraft was involved in the event. Since then, it has found 15 aircraft with unrepairable engine components, of which three have already undergone repairs.
Rolls-Royce said on Tuesday that the replacement might happen while the engine is still in the air. It added that it was dedicated to collaborating closely with Airbus, Cathay Pacific, and law enforcement as they looked into the incident. A request for comment regarding the reported fuel nozzle issue was not immediately answered by the engine manufacturer.
WHAT IS THE POSSIBLE IMPACT ON THE A350?
Worldwide, 88 A350-1000 aircraft are in service, according to ch-aviation, a Swiss source of aviation intelligence.
According to ch-aviation data, there are 520 A350-900s in service globally.
It’s unclear if other airlines are doing engine inspections.
By the end of June, 234 XWB-97 engines had been delivered to customers, according to a note sent by broker Jefferies to its clients on Monday.
WHICH FLIGHTS TO CATHAY PACIFIC HAVE BEEN CANCELLED?
As of the end of Wednesday, Cathay Pacific reported on Tuesday that it had canceled at least 34 round-trip flights from Hong Kong to Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok, and Singapore. It stated that long-distance services ought to remain unaffected.
North American and European destinations are also served by the airline’s A350s.
HOW ARE OTHER AIRLINES USING A350S?
In the interim, A350 flights have not been halted, according to Tokyo-based JAL, which operates five A350-1000s that are all less than a year old. Rolls-Royce has been contacted for further information.
Although it continues to watch any developments, Qatar Airways stated that the problem has no effect on its A350-1000s.
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Editing by Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing, and Tomasz Janowski; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Ben Blanchard in Taipei, and Joanna Plucinska in London. Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Seoul.
