Explainer: What is the issue with Cathay Pacific's A350 Rolls-Royce engines?

China Airlines

03/09/2024 05:07

(Updates China Airlines comment in final paragraphs)
    By Lisa Barrington
       Sept 3 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways
 0293.HK  said on Monday it was inspecting all 48 of its Airbus
 AIR.PA  A350 widebody jets after the in-flight failure of a
component in an engine that is made by British manufacturer
Rolls-Royce  RR.L .
     
    WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FLIGHT?
    A problem unfolded several minutes after take-off on flight
CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday, according to flight
tracking service FlightRadar24. 
    The five-year-old A350-1000 plane performed two wide circles
and dumped fuel over the sea before returning to Hong Kong where
it landed safely about 75 minutes after its departure. 
     Cathay Pacific said it identified an engine component
failure after the aircraft returned to Hong Kong.   
     
    WHY DID THE A350 ENGINE FAIL?
    Cathay Pacific has not specified which engine component
failed, but the carrier said it was the "first of its type to
suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide".  
    A person familiar with the matter told Reuters the incident
involved a problem with a fuel nozzle inside a XWB-97 engine,
the Rolls-Royce model used on the A350-1000.
     
    HOW MANY TYPES OF A350S ARE THERE?
    The Airbus A350 is a twin-aisle long-haul aircraft that can
carry between 300 and 480 passengers. It comes in two sizes: the
A350-900 and the larger A350-1000, both powered exclusively by
Rolls-Royce engines. 
     
    WHAT ENGINE DOES THE A350 USE?
    The A350-1000 and the A350 freighter use Trent XWB-97
engines, Rolls-Royce's largest civil jet engine.
    The more popular A350-900 uses its Trent XWB-84 engines.    
        
    ARE ALL A350 ENGINES AFFECTED?
    It is not clear. 
    Cathay Pacific said the incident occurred on one of its 18
A350-1000 planes, but it was also inspecting its 30 A350-900s as
a "precautionary measure".
    The airline said it had "identified a number of the same
engine components that need to be replaced" but did not say on
which model aircraft.
    Rolls-Royce did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on the reported fuel nozzle problem, but said earlier it
was aware of the incident at Cathay and would work closely with
the airline, Airbus and relevant authorities.
    Rolls-Royce shares closed 6.5% lower on Monday.
     
    HOW MANY A350 AIRCRAFT COULD BE IMPACTED?
    There are 88 A350-1000 jets in operation worldwide,
according to Swiss aviation intelligence provider ch-aviation.
    The top six operators are Qatar Airways with 24 planes,
British Airways  ICAG.L  with 18, Cathay Pacific with 18, Virgin
Atlantic with 12 and Etihad Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL)
 9210.T  with five each. 
    There are 520 A350-900s in operation worldwide, ch-aviation
data shows. 
    It is not clear whether other airlines are inspecting their
engines. 
    Broker Jefferies said in a note to clients on Monday that
234 XWB-97 engines had been delivered to customers by the end of
June.
     
    WHICH CATHAY PACIFIC FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED?
    Cathay Pacific said on Monday it had cancelled 24 return
flights between Hong Kong and Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei,
Bangkok and Singapore operating until the end of Wednesday, and
it would update on further cancellations as it completes its
inspections. 
    The airline's A350s also serve destinations in Europe and
North America.  
    Cathay Pacific shares were down 0.5% in morning trade on
Tuesday.
     
    WHAT ARE OTHER AIRLINES WITH A350S DOING?
    Tokyo-based JAL, which has five A350-1000s that are all less
than a year old, said it has asked Rolls-Royce for more
information and had not stopped A350 flights in the meantime.  
"If the engine manufacturer takes any further action, we will
respond accordingly," a JAL spokesperson said.
    Taiwan's China Airlines  2610.TW , which operates 15
A350-900s but no A350-1000s, said its fleet did not use the
affected engines, so its operations would not be impacted.
    "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.

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Cathay Pacific inspects Airbus A350 fleet after engine part
failure     ID:nL1N3KK0FR 
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(Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Seoul; Additional reporting by
Maki Shiraki in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by
Jamie Freed)
((mailto:lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com;))