Airbus, Rolls-Royce to address airlines’ safety concerns over Cathay Pacific A350 engine fault

Some carriers have made precautionary checks of their A350 fleets after an engine emergency forced a Cathay jet to return to Hong Kong

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Airbus A350 aircraft operated by Cathay Pacific parked on the tarmac at Hong Kong airport. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 11:34am, 5 Sep 2024

Airbus and Rolls-Royce are preparing to brief airlines on the fallout from an engine emergency that prompted Cathay Pacific to review its fleet of A350s as pressure from airlines mounts for clarity, two people familiar with the matter said.

Barring fresh evidence as investigators examine the fuel system of a jet forced to return to Hong Kong on Monday, manufacturers have been leaning against recommending worldwide checks but the final word lies with regulators, the people said.

Briefings could go ahead as early as Thursday, they said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Some carriers including Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines had been conducting precautionary checks of their entire A350 fleets after Cathay Pacific said it had found 15 of its 48 A350 jets needed repairs to fuel lines.

Airbus declined to comment and referred queries to Hong Kong investigators, who could not be reached. Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Although the stance so far suggests there is no immediate discovery of a widespread flaw, it is too early to rule out further findings or analysis that may eventually require action by other airlines, the people said, asking not to be identified.

It was not immediately clear whether the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) would endorse any decision to refrain from recommending fleet action, which threatens costly downtime as the industry wrestles with maintenance delays.