Cathay Pacific grounds A350 fleet amid Rolls-Royce engine troubles: Everything you need to know

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Engine component failure

The issue, reportedly involving a problem with a fuel nozzle inside the Trent XWB-97 engine, used on Cathay Pacific’s A350-1000 wide-body, has forced the airline to cancel nearly 70 flights, affecting routes to Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.

While the airline has not specified which engine component failed, it confirmed it was the “first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide”.

Upon inspection, the carrier identified 15 aircraft with faulty parts that required replacement.

According to Cathay, three out of the 48 Rolls-Royce-powered A350s in its fleet have undergone successful repairs, with all affected aircraft expected to return to service by Saturday.

“At Cathay, the safety of our customers and our people guides every decision we make,” the airline said, apologising to its customers for the inconvenience caused.

While other airlines operating the aircraft type have not reported similar issues, Japan Airlines (JAL), has requested additional information from Rolls-Royce but continued to operate its A350 flights as scheduled.

“If the engine manufacturer takes any further action, we will respond accordingly,” a JAL spokesperson stated, according to reports.

Cathay Pacific said it secured the replacement parts for the affected engine components.

Collaborative efforts

Rolls-Royce affirmed its commitment “to working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their efforts,” noting that the replacement could be completed while the engine remained on the wing.

Furthermore, it pledged to “keep other airlines that operate Trent XWB-97 engines fully informed of any relevant developments as appropriate.”

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was “monitoring any information coming out of the technical investigation and will take decisions on any fleet-level action as required.”

The A350 manufacturer, Airbus, said it was in contact with Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific and is providing full technical support.

China Airlines, which operates 15 A350-900s but no A350-1000s, reported that its operations would not be impacted, as it does not use the affected engines.

“The company will continue to pay attention to the instructions of the original manufacturer and take the initiative to arrange for testing operations to ensure the safety of aircraft operations,” it said in a statement.

Extensive inspections

Although the incident involved one of Cathay Pacific’s 18 A350-1000s, the airline said it was also inspecting its 30 A350-900s as a precautionary measure.

The carrier revealed it has “identified a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced” but did not specify which aircraft model was affected.

According to ch-aviation, there are currently 88 A350-1000s in operation worldwide.

Qatar Airways is the aircraft’s largest operator, with 24 aircraft in its fleet, followed by British Airways and Cathay Pacific with 18 each, Virgin Atlantic with 12 aircraft, and Etihad Airways and JAL with five each.

In March, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark strongly criticised Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB-97 engines, indicating that the airline would refrain from purchasing the engines until assured of their durability.