Cathay Pacific A350 Engine Issue: Airbus And Rolls-Royce Ready To Speak Out

Airbus SE EADSY EADSF and Rolls Royce Holdings plc RLLCF are set to update airlines on the consequences of an engine emergency that led Cathay Pacific Airways, Ltd. CPCAY to reassess its A350 fleet, amid growing demands for transparency from the aviation industry.

Unless new evidence emerges from the investigation into the fuel system of a jet that was forced to return to Hong Kong on Monday, manufacturers are currently not advocating for global inspections, reported Reuters.

However, the final decision will rest with the regulators, the report added, citing people familiar with the discussions. Briefings might take place as soon as Thursday.

In response to Cathay Pacific’s situation, some airlines, including Singapore Airlines Ltd. SINGY and Japan Airlines Ltd JAPSY, have been performing precautionary inspections of their entire A350 fleets.

Also Read: Cathay Pacific’s A350 Fleet To Fully Resume Operations By Sep 7

While the current stance indicates that no widespread flaw has been immediately identified, it is too early to dismiss the possibility of further findings that might necessitate action from other airlines, the report noted, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It remains unclear whether the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will support the decision to avoid recommending fleet-wide inspections, a move that could lead to expensive downtime amid ongoing maintenance delays in the industry.

The A350-1000, the larger variant in the Airbus A350 series, and its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines have come under scrutiny following an incident in which a Zurich-bound flight had to return to Hong Kong due to an engine issue, later determined to be caused by a fuel leak.

Preliminary investigations have found that a flexible pipe supplying fuel to a nozzle in the XWB-97 engine was punctured, per the report.

Hong Kong investigators are now expected to determine whether the hole in the flexible pipe was the source of the fuel leak or if it was caused by another, yet-to-be-identified issue.

Cathay Pacific announced that it plans to return all Airbus A350s, including the smaller A350-900 model, to service by Saturday after completing inspections and fuel line repairs on 15 aircraft.

This follows the cancellation of numerous flights to allow for the necessary examinations.

Image via Unsplash

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