Published: 7 September 2024
NT Bureau
Doha
Qatar Airways confirmed on Friday that it will conduct ‘one-off inspections’ on its Airbus A350 jet engines after receiving an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Rolls-Royce.
“Qatar Airways confirms that it received an AD from EASA and Rolls-Royce, mandating a one-off inspection of the engines on its Airbus A350-1000 fleet,” the airline said in a statement.ds by
“The inspections are being conducted as a precautionary measure to ensure the continued safety and security of our passengers, which remains our highest priority,” Qatar Airways said.
The checks were prompted by an “in-flight engine fire” on one of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific’s Zurich-bound flights.
Cathay Pacific flight CX383 turned around and returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff for Zurich. The regulator said the fire was quickly detected and extinguished.
The Cathay incident prompted other airlines in the region to carry out similar checks on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engines, respectively.
Earlier in the week, Qatar Airways told the media that there has been no impact on the operation of any Qatar Airways Airbus A350-1000s; however, it continues to monitor the situation.
The airline is among the top operators of the A350 in the Middle East, with 24 of the wide-body aircraft in its fleet.
EASA said the checks will be required “to identify and remove from service any potentially compromised high-pressure fuel hoses. ” The measure is “precautionary.” However, it said, not all A350s may require inspections. There are 86 such planes in service worldwide.
