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Airbus, Rolls to inform airline companies as pressure for A350 checks eases, sources state

Airline companies will likely be told there is no immediate need for international look at the Jet A3501000, ending days of unpredictability after an engine emergency situation prompted Cathay Pacific to examine its fleet, two individuals acquainted with the matter said.

Some carriers consisting of Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines had actually been conducting precautionary checks of their entire A350 fleets after Cathay Pacific said it had discovered 15 of its 48 A350 jets required repair work to fuel lines.

Barring last-minute changes as private investigators take a look at parts from a Cathay Pacific A350 that went back to base on Monday, Airplane and engine maker Rolls-Royce are anticipated to transfer to ease larger security issues in their first rundowns to carriers on Thursday, the people said.

Airbus decreased comment and referred queries to Hong Kong private investigators, who could not be reached. Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific did not instantly respond to requests for remark.

Although the position suggests the incident is significantly being viewed as isolated, it is prematurely to rule out further findings or analysis that may ultimately need action by other airlines, the people stated, asking not to be determined.

A decision rests with regulators. It was not right away clear whether the European Union Aviation Safety Firm (EASA) had formally backed a choice to avoid recommending fleet action, which can trigger delays and downtime.

We have no more comment at this phase as we are still finishing our evaluation, an EASA spokesperson said.

The A350-1000, the bigger of 2 models in the Airplane A350 household, and its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines have actually been under the spotlight since a Zurich-bound jet was forced to return to Hong Kong after an engine problem, later traced to a fuel leak.

Initial examinations have actually exposed that a flexible pipe feeding a fuel injection nozzle in the XWB-97 engine was pierced, individuals stated.

Hong Kong private investigators are now anticipated to focus on whether that hole was the origin of the fuel leak or was itself triggered by a different issue, yet to be determined, they included.

Hong Kong's Air Accident Investigation Authority did not instantly respond to a request for remark.

Cathay Pacific said previously it would return all Airbus A350s, consisting of the smaller sized A350-900 variation, to operation by Saturday following examinations and fuel line repairs on 15 jets, having actually cancelled dozens of flights to examine the airplanes.

It did not state what criteria it had actually used to choose whether the lines should be changed nor whether the modifications had been authorized by Rolls-Royce, which normally oversees maintenance under long-lasting engine service contracts. Neither business reacted to an ask for comment on the repair work.

So far no other airline company has actually reported damage to fuel lines. Some have carried out voluntary checks because the incident while others have stated they are awaiting clarity from Rolls-Royce.

(source: Reuters)