Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. has found 15 Airbus A350 aircraft in its fleet with affected engine components that require replacement, while three have already gone through successful repairs, said the Hong Kong-based airline in a statement to NDTV Profit.
“Maintenance activity on our A350 fleet is progressing well, engineering team have thoroughly inspected our fleet of operational A350 aircraft within 24 hours. In total, we have identified 15 aircraft with affected engine components that require replacement and three have already gone through successful repairs,” the statement from the airlines said.
The remaining aircraft will continue to be out of service until they have been repaired and cleared for operation. All affected aircraft will resume operations by Saturday (Sept. 7), it said.
The airlines said that all impacted customers have been informed and provided with alternative travel options. It expects to cancel 10 additional return flights for Wednesday (Sept. 4), while long-haul services should not be affected.
Following the in-flight return on Monday (Sept. 2), Cathay Pacific identified an engine component failure in the A350 aircraft involved. It was immediately brought to the attention of the aircraft and engine manufacturers as well as the regulators. As a precautionary measure, a fleet-wide inspection of A350 aircraft was initiated immediately, according to the statement from Cathay Pacific.
Earlier on Tuesday, addressing the issue, Rolls-Royce said that the company was committed to working closely with the airlines and the aircraft manufacturer, as well as the relevant authorities, to support their efforts.
“Rolls-Royce will also keep other airlines that operate Trent XWB-97 engines fully informed of any relevant developments as appropriate,” the company said.
Air India is currently the only Indian airline with six A350 aircraft in service.
Earlier this year, on April 25, 2024, IndiGo announced that the airline would place an order for 30 A350-900 aircraft to expand its network. Rolls Royce’s Trent XWB engine will power the A350-900 aircraft, according to an official press release from IndiGo.
Deliveries of the Airbus A350-900 aircraft were expected to start in 2027, IndiGo had said.