By Kimberley Kao
Cathay Pacific has canceled two dozen flights and grounded its fleet of Airbus 350 jets after discovering engine issues on one of the planes during a flight to Switzerland.
The Hong Kong airline said in a statement late Monday that is conducting inspections of 48 Airbus 350 jets and has canceled 24 flights.
The move comes after Cathay identified an "engine component failure" on a flight bound for Zurich, Switzerland, that was forced to return to Hong Kong on Monday. The component "was the first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide," the carrier said, but didn't specify the engine part.
"Each aircraft is undergoing a rigorous inspection," Cathay's engineering director, Keith Brown, said in the statement. "Upon completion, the aircraft cleared for operation will return to service, while those identified with technical issues will undergo further repair and maintenance work," Brown said.
The inspections conducted so far show that a number of the same engine components need to be replaced on some of the planes, Cathay said. Repair work is underway, and it expects a number of aircraft will be out of service for several days, affecting flight schedules. Further flight cancellations are possible, Cathay said.
Airbus said in an emailed response that it is aware of the situation and is in touch with Rolls-Royce--the manufacturer of the engine for the Airbus 350 jets--as well as Cathay Pacific, and referred to both companies for further comment.
Rolls-Royce has been contacted for further comment.
Shares in the engine maker last closed down 6.5% in London.
Write to Kimberley Kao at kimberley.kao@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 02, 2024 22:36 ET (02:36 GMT)
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