4-9-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced on 3 September that it would be conducting inspections on the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines powering its fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft. This decision comes in the wake of a component failure identified by Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways during one of its flights.
SIA has assured passengers that there is currently no impact on its A350-900 operations. The airline’s swift response underscores the aviation industry’s commitment to passenger safety and operational reliability.
The announcement follows Cathay Pacific’s disclosure of an extensive inspection of its entire A350 fleet. The Hong Kong-based carrier revealed that 15 of its 48 Rolls-Royce-powered A350s required component replacements. Three aircraft have already undergone successful repairs, with the airline expecting all affected jets to resume service by 7 September.
The incident that sparked these inspections occurred on 2 September when a Cathay Pacific A350-1000 experienced an engine part failure shortly after departing Hong Kong. This event led to the cancellation of at least 34 round-trip flights, causing significant disruption to the carrier’s operations.
Interestingly, other major airlines operating A350 aircraft have not yet received directives to examine their engines. Japan Airlines (JAL), which operates five relatively new A350-1000s, stated it had requested additional information from Rolls-Royce but had not grounded its A350 fleet.
An industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that Rolls-Royce had not issued a blanket directive to airlines regarding inspections. However, the engine manufacturer has expressed its commitment to working closely with Cathay Pacific, Airbus, and relevant authorities in investigating the incident.
While Cathay Pacific has not specified the exact component that failed, sources familiar with the matter suggest it involved a fuel nozzle issue in the XWB-97 engine, the model used on the A350-1000. Aviation experts note that such problems, while rare, generally raise fewer concerns than failures in major rotating parts like turbine blades.
Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, has stated its readiness to provide full technical support to both Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific throughout the investigation process.
The incident has had a ripple effect on Cathay Pacific’s share price, which dipped by 0.9% on 3 September. Similarly, Rolls-Royce shares experienced a significant 6.5% decline on 2 September, reflecting market concerns over the potential implications of the component failure.
