EU Mandates Airbus A350 Inspections After Cathay Pacific Engine Fire

In a significant move addressing aviation safety, the European Union’s aviation safety agency (EASA) has mandated inspections of certain Airbus A350 aircraft following a concerning incident involving a Cathay Pacific plane. The directive comes in response to an engine fire that forced a Zurich-bound Cathay Pacific flight to return to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff.

Cathay Pacific, renowned as one of the major operators of the A350 jetliner, grounded 48 of its planes for thorough inspections after the incident. The inspections identified faulty engine fuel lines in 15 aircraft, all powered by Rolls-Royce engines, leading to numerous canceled flights across Asia. This action underscores the critical nature of ensuring passenger safety and the operational integrity of these long-haul aircraft.

EASA is adopting precautionary measures to avert any further incidents. The agency has announced it will conduct a one-time fleet inspection, which could affect only a subset of the A350 fleet. The primary focus of these inspections is to identify and replace any potentially compromised high-pressure fuel hoses. The timeline for these checks will be detailed in an upcoming EASA Emergency Airworthiness Directive.

The incident in question involved the A350-1041 aircraft on Cathay Pacific’s flight CX383. Shortly after departure from Hong Kong, an in-flight engine fire was detected and promptly extinguished. This event has prompted a meticulous safety investigation spearheaded by the Air Accident Investigation Authority of Hong Kong (AAIA).

Significantly, Cathay Pacific noted that the defective component had previously not encountered such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide, making this incident particularly unusual and driving further checks by airlines in the region. Other carriers are now conducting similar inspections on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, equipped with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engines respectively, to ensure there are no underlying issues threatening flight safety.

This development reveals a proactive approach by EASA and Cathay Pacific in safeguarding both technical and operational standards, highlighting the essential vigilance required in monitoring advanced aircraft technologies. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, such measures are vital in maintaining confidence in air travel safety and reliability.