The incident occurred when a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350, en route from Hong Kong to Zurich, was forced to make a U-turn just 15 minutes into the flight due to an engine component failure. The airline swiftly responded by inspecting all 48 of its A350 jets within 24 hours, discovering that 15 of them required engine component replacements.

The engines in question are the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97, the sole engine choice for the A350-1000, the largest version of the widebody jet. The Trent XWB-97 engines are used on 88 aircraft globally, making this issue a potential concern for other airlines as well. Rolls-Royce has committed to keeping all operators of these engines fully informed of any developments and is supporting Cathay Pacific during this challenging time.

Despite the severity of the issue, Rolls-Royce has assured that the component replacement can be done while the engine remains on the wing, which should help minimize maintenance downtime. The company’s stock saw a brief drop following the news but rebounded after the London Stock Exchange reopened.

Cathay Pacific, one of the world’s few five-star airlines according to Skytrax, emphasized that it has always complied with all maintenance requirements and stringent procedures to ensure the safety of its fleet. The airline expressed its deep regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers and reiterated that safety remains its top priority.

As the investigation into Monday’s incident continues, Cathay Pacific is bracing for further disruptions, with an additional 10 flights expected to be cancelled on Wednesday, and potentially more until the weekend. The situation underscores the critical importance of rigorous maintenance and swift action in the aviation industry, where passenger safety is paramount.