The EASA has mandated inspections for the Airbus A350-1000 fleet, which is equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. This precautionary measure follows a serious incident involving a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong earlier this week.
EASA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2024-0174-E requires a phased, one-off inspection of the flexible fuel hose connections inside the engines to check for potential damage. These inspections must be completed within the next 3 to 30 days, depending on the individual engine’s history. Currently, there are 86 A350-1000 aircraft in service worldwide.
“This action is a precautionary measure, based on the information received from the initial investigation of the recent Cathay Pacific serious incident and on the airline’s findings in its own subsequent inspections,” said EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet. “We will continue to follow closely all information that will be made available through the ongoing safety investigation.”
On September 1, a Cathay Pacific A350-1000 experienced an in-flight engine fire shortly after taking off from Hong Kong on its way to Zurich. The fire was quickly detected and extinguished, allowing the aircraft to return safely to Hong Kong. The affected aircraft was powered by Trent XWB-97 engines.
This event has been classified as a serious incident, prompting an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex-13 investigation by Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA). Following inspections, Cathay Pacific reported similar issues on other A350 aircraft in its fleet.
EASA, as the State of Design airworthiness authority for both the A350 aircraft and the Trent XWB engines, has mandated these measures specifically for the Trent XWB-97 engines. The Trent XWB-84 engines, used on the A350-900, have different design and service histories, and no extension of the current measures to these engines is deemed necessary at this time.
