Cathay inspects A350 fleet after engine component failure

HONG KONG

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific has temporarily grounded its fleet of A350 aircraft for inspections after a "first of its type" engine component failure forced a flight to Zurich to turn back on Sept. 2.

Cathay is conducting fleet-wide inspection of its 48 Airbus A350 aircraft and "a number of aircraft will be out of service for several days", the airline said in a statement.

The move came after a Cathay flight to Zurich on Sept. 1 was forced to return and the company identified an engine component failure, it said, without saying which component.

"This component was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide," the airline said.

A precautionary fleet-wide inspection found a number of the same engine components that needed to be replaced, according to Cathay.

Cathay engineering director Keith Brown said the company was liaising with Hong Kong's aviation authorities as well as the aircraft and engine manufacturers.

"Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection," Brown said, according to the statement.

Cathay is among the largest operators worldwide of the A350 jet.

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce told Bloomberg News that it was "committed to working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their investigation into this incident".

The engine manufacturer said this year that it was investing more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) to upgrade its lineup of commercial aircraft engines.

Last November, Emirates chief executive Tim Clark expressed concerns about the durability and longevity of A350 engines.