The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has called for inspections of the Rolls Royce Trent XWB-84/97 engine manifolds after a fire broke out on an Airbus A350-1000 during a Cathay Pacific flight. 

Authorities in Hong Kong conducted a preliminary investigation, which identified a hose in the fuel system of the A350 as the cause of the fire. In response to the incident, Cathay Pacific has completed inspections and repairs on its A350 fleet, resulting in the cancellation of many flights. Airbus and Rolls-Royce are reportedly preparing responses to the incident, while other airlines are conducting precautionary inspections. Following the incident and the ongoing investigation, EASA called for inspections on all A350-1000 Trent XWM-84/97 engines, with Rolls-Royce shares declining as a result.

Over the next decade, travel demand is forecast to increase rapidly, with an estimated 22,000 aircraft required to match this growth. However, commercial aviation safety has recently come under the lens after a door plug incident on a Boeing 737 Max in January 2024.  The fallout from this incident has seen the FAA launch an extensive safety investigation that impacted Boeing’s aircraft deliveries for 2024. This seemingly placed Airbus in a position to take advantage of Boeing’s delays, however, the manufacturer is having problems of its own.  An engine materials issue has resulted in a recall of the Airbus A320neo Pratt and Whitney engine which will result in the temporary grounding of roughly 600 aircraft over the next two years. Moreover, it has been reported that the A220 is also causing airline fleet groundings as the Pratt and Whitney engine will require inspections at 5,000 miles.

The latest incident with the A350 is highlighting manufacturer problems as well as raising safety concerns related to aircraft production and safety protocols, while supply chain disruptions have placed pressure on manufacturers and consequently, reduced output volumes. These combined issues raise concerns about Airbus and Boeing’s capability to meet future demand. At present, other manufacturers have not built the capacity to take up market share from the duopoly over the next decade. Should Airbus and Boeing not be able to address the various manufacturing and safety concerns, future flight demand may be jeopardised resulting in extended fleet utilisation and higher costs related to fleet maintenance.