Cathay Pacific is one of the airlines in the headlines most recently over a big problem with some of its planes. Just shortly after one of its Airbus A350 jets took off from Hong Kong, a part in the Rolls-Royce engine failed this Monday. The sudden problem grounded several flights and called for the putting of the airline’s fleet of planes under close inspection.

Fast Action against Engine Malfunction

It soon found that 15 of its Airbus A350s were fitted with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines that needed the urgent part replacement. In total, this airline flies 48 aircraft with this type of engine and subsequently began checking all of them for airworthiness.

Out of the 15 planes that needed repairs, three have already been fixed. The airline projects to have all the affected planes back in the air by Saturday. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has had to cancel 34 return flights up to Wednesday. The company will also decide whether more flights need to be canceled for the rest of the week.
What Caused the Problem?

Indeed, the problem appeared to have something to do with a component inside the engine known as a fuel nozzle. This small piece of the fuel nozzle in question is one of the most integral parts of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines flown on a particular model, the Airbus A350-1000s. This faulty fuel nozzle created serious problems in terms of engine failure, and thus the problem was seriously taken by Cathay Pacific and immediately moved into action for the inspection and fixing of its planes.

The manufacturer of these engines, Rolls-Royce, confirmed that the affected aircraft was powered by its Trent XWB-97 engines. They have since then been keeping other airlines appraised of this situation. Authorities in Hong Kong have also launched their investigation into precisely what went wrong. Rolls-Royce is fully cooperating with these authorities and with Airbus, which produces the Airbus A350 aircraft.

The Impact on Rolls-Royce

News of the failure immediately hit Rolls-Royce’s share prices. Rolls-Royce shares fell by 6.5% on Monday, when the problem was reported, on the London Stock Exchange, making it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 index. The next day, however, the shares bounced back a bit, rising by 4.5%, making Rolls-Royce the top riser on the index that day.

Other Carriers Watch Closely

As Cathay Pacific dealt with the problem, other carriers that also operate the same aircraft model as Cathay- Airbuys A350-1000- continued to watch the situation closely. According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, other carriers flying the same model plane appeared to be flying normally on Tuesday. The top six operators with this aircraft are Qatar Airways 24, British Airways 18, Cathay Pacific 18, Virgin Atlantic 12, and Etihad Airways and Japan Airlines each with five.

Japan Airlines, whose fleet of A350-1000s is relatively young, meanwhile said it had approached Rolls-Royce seeking more information. Remarks by one senior official from Japan Airlines included, “We will respond appropriately when further action might be taken by the engine manufacturer.” This clearly shows that other airlines, too, are taking the matter seriously and prepared for action in case such a need arises.
What’s Next for Cathay Pacific?

Cathay Pacific did not detail which component in the engine failed, only that this was the “first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide.” That is to say, such failure never happened on any Airbus A350 aircraft, making the event very serious.

Also involved is Airbus, the company that builds these planes. They said they were in close contact with both Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific, offering full technical support in order to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible.

How Big Is the Problem?

According to ch-aviation, an Swiss intelligence provider, there are about 88 Airbus A350-1000 flying around the world as of today. With Cathay Pacific owning 18 of those, that would mean that it flies a considerable chunk of those jets. Any problem affecting those planes could be felt rather easily in global air travel, especially with how dependent so many have become on long-haul flights these days.

What Does This Mean for Passengers?

This engine trouble has created quite a bit of disruption to passengers booked on Cathay Pacific flights this week, not least because the airline has already canceled 34 return flights, possibly more, until such time as the necessary repairs can be completed. Cathay Pacific is taking every measure possible to control the situation and apprise passengers of any changes to their travel arrangements.

Looking Ahead

While this problem has caused quite an uproar within the aviation world, Cathay Pacific still hopes to have all the affected planes repaired and back in the air by the end of the week. “It is co-operating closely with Rolls-Royce and Airbus with the aim of ensuring that the root cause of the problem is comprehensively identified and dealt with.

Rolls-Royce is liaising, in turn, with other carriers operating the same engines to forestall recurrence of similar incidents elsewhere. The Hong Kong investigators should shed more light on the matter in the days ahead.

In the meantime, passengers are advised to check for further updates and, if possible, to stay in contact with Cathay Pacific for information regarding their flights. The airline emphasized that safety has always been their main priority, and of course, every necessary measure will be taken towards a return to normal at the earliest possible opportunity.