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

China Airlines

04/09/2024 03:17

(Updates with source-based details on the incident and parts
being inspected, latest JAL comment)
    By Lisa Barrington
       Sept 4 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways
 0293.HK  said on Tuesday it had inspected its entire Airbus
 AIR.PA  A350 fleet 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. 
A source familiar with the matter said a leak in a fuel system
appeared to have caused a brief engine fire that was quickly
extinguished by the crew of the Zurich-bound jet. 
    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".  
    The source said the incident involved a leak in a system
designed to inject fuel to the XWB-97 engine, the Rolls-Royce
model used on the A350-1000.
    The system comprises a pipe that feeds fuel from an entry
point or manifold to a nozzle that sprays fuel into the
combustion chamber, the hot inner core of the engine.
    Sources said partially scorched parts were being analysed at
Rolls-Royce facilities on behalf of Hong Kong investigators, but
that no leaks had been found so far in other engines.
     
    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?
    Cathay Pacific said the incident occurred on one of its 18
A350-1000 planes. It has since identified 15 aircraft with
engine components that require replacement and three have
already gone through repairs.
    Rolls-Royce on Tuesday noted the replacement could take
place while the engine remained on-wing. It also said it was
committed to working closely with Cathay Pacific, Airbus and
authorities conducting an investigation of the incident. 
    There were no immediate signs the incident would trigger
significant regulatory action involving all A350s, according to
the source familiar with the matter. 
     
    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 showed.
    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 Tuesday it had cancelled at least 34
round-trip flights between Hong Kong and Sydney, Osaka, Tokyo,
Taipei, Bangkok and Singapore until the end of Wednesday.
Long-haul services should not be affected, it said.
    The airline's A350s also serve destinations in Europe and
North America.  
     
    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 conducted its own engine
inspections. By Tuesday, three had been inspected and found to
be safe, the carrier said, with the two others due to be checked
on Wednesday when they returned to Haneda Airport.
     Singapore Airlines said it was inspecting the engines on
its A350-900 aircraft as a precaution but there would be no
impact on flights. It does not have any A350-1000s.
Taiwan's China Airlines  2610.TW , which also operates 15
A350-900s but no A350-1000s, said its fleet did not use the
affected engines, so its operations would not be impacted.
    Qatar Airways said the issue had no impact on its A350-1000s
and it continues to monitor any developments.

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Cathay Pacific inspections find 15 A350s need engine parts
replaced     ID:nL1N3KL054 
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(Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Seoul; Additional reporting by
Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Joanna
Plucinska in London; Editing by Jamie Freed, Christopher Cushing
and Tomasz Janowski)
((mailto:lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com;))