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Hong Kong's flagship airline grounds Airbus A350 fleet for faulty engine component

The airline did not specify what the engine component issue was, but said it was first discovered on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday.
Cathay Pacific Airbus A350
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Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific grounded part of its fleet after finding an engine problem with one of its Airbus A350s.

The airline said Tuesday that its engineering team had thoroughly inspected all 48 of its operational Airbus A350 planes and found 15 that needed replacements of certain engine components. Three have already been repaired and the airline expects all to be fixed by Saturday.

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After having to cancel dozens of flights, the airline said there would not be any more cancellations beyond the ones it has already announced on its website. Impacted customers had been notified and provided with alternate travel options.

The airline did not specify what the engine component issue was but said it was first discovered on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday. The plane later returned to Hong Kong.

“We immediately brought this issue to the attention of the aircraft and engine manufacturers as well as our regulators,” Cathay Pacific said in a statement. “As a precautionary measure, a fleet-wide inspection of our A350 aircraft was initiated immediately.”

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Cathay Pacific serves more than 60 countries across the world with passenger and cargo flight operations, according to its website.