Cathay Pacific has said its A350 fleet will fully resume operations by Saturday (September 7) as engine repairs on affected aircraft are continuing.
The Hong Kong-based carrier cancelled almost 70 flights across Asia earlier this week as it inspected its fleet of 48 Airbus A350 aircraft.
The inspections were triggered after an engine component failure on one of its A350-1000 aircraft shortly after take-off from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday (September 2).
Cathay Pacific said on Wednesday (September 4) that maintenance activity on its Airbus A350 fleet “continues to progress well”.
Fifteen aircraft were identified with engine fuel lines that require replacement. Of these, six have already undergone successful repairs and are cleared to operate.
The remaining nine aircraft will be repaired and are expected to resume operation by Saturday.
In addition to flight cancellations announced so far, Cathay Pacific expects to cancel 11 additional regional return flights from September 5-7.
Affected customers have been informed and provided with alternative travel options on Cathay Pacific or other airlines.
In total, including those previously announced, the airline cancelled 45 return flights between September 2-7.
Apart from one long-haul flight on September 2, all cancelled flights are for regional destinations.
Chief operations and service delivery officer Alex McGowan said: “This was a significant situation for Cathay to manage as the engine component failure was the first of its type to occur on any A350 aircraft anywhere in the world.
“Completing thorough inspection and maintenance for all A350 aircraft within such a short timeframe has been challenging. I would like to express my sincere thanks to our engineering and frontline teams, along with our partners, for their support and commitment to resolve the situation and minimise flight disruptions.”
Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce said in a statement: “As well as providing support and guidance to Cathay Pacific, Rolls-Royce will also keep other airlines that operate Trent XWB-97 engines fully informed of any relevant developments as appropriate.”
Other airlines using A350s include Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.