Cathay Pacific grounds planes after engine problem

Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific has cancelled tens of flights after a plane heading from the city to Zurich was forced to turn around due to an “engine component failure”.

The company says it is now inspecting all 48 of its Airbus A350 aircraft “as a precautionary measure” and a faulty part has been found in some of the engines that needs to be replaced.

Rolls-Royce has told the BBC the plane was powered by its Trent XWB-97 engines.

Since Monday, Cathay Pacific has cancelled two dozen return flights, including routes linking Hong Kong to Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka and Taipei.

The airline said it expected the disruptions to continue until at least Wednesday.

Cathay Pacific said the engine component that caused its plane to return to Hong Kong was “the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide.”

“Thus far we have identified a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced, spare parts have been secured and repair work is underway,” the airline said in a statement.

“As a result, a number of aircraft will be out of service for several days while this process is being completed and Cathay Pacific’s operating schedules will be affected.”

The airline expects the inspection of its A350 fleet to be completed later on Tuesday.

Cathay Pacific took delivery of its Airbus A350 aircraft in 2016, which are equipped with fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines.

“We are committed to working closely with the airline, aircraft manufacturer and the relevant authorities to support their investigation into this incident,” Rolls-Royce told BBC News.

The UK-based engineering giant’s shares fell by more than 6% in Monday’s trading session in London.

Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce announced plans to invest in making improvements to its range of engines, including the Trent XWB-97.

In 2023, Tim Clark, the boss of gulf carrier Emirates, voiced concerns about the durability of the engine and the prices Rolls-Royce charged for maintenance.