A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 had to divert after a mid-air engine shutdown yesterday. The airplane was en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne when it was forced to land in Darwin due to engine problems.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350
A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 had to make an unscheduled landing in Darwin yesterday. Photo: Cathay Pacific.

What are the details?

9News Australia reported that Cathay Pacific flight CX105, from Hong Kong to Melbourne, experienced engine problems over Katherine in the Northern Territory of Australia. It seems there was a suspected leak on one of the engines of the Airbus A350-900, registration B-LRJ. According to a passenger, "[t]he pilot said it was an engine issue." The passenger further told 9News that, as a result, "[t]he problem engine was shut down over Katherine."

The Airbus A350 was able to land safely in Darwin around 8am local time.

Cathay Pacific Flight CX105
Cathay Pacific Flight CX105 had to divert due to engine problems. Source: Flightradar24.

Emergency services were waiting for the aircraft to arrive as a precaution. However, thankfully they were able to leave shortly after the aircraft's safe landing.

Cathay Pacific provided breakfast for the passengers of the flight. Later, the airline dispatched a recovery aircraft to pick up the passengers and transport them to Melbourne.

Cathay Pacific stated that "[t]he flight was diverted as a precautionary measure due to a technical issue." The airline also apologized to the passengers "for the disruption to their journey." The airline, however, did not provide specifics regarding the nature of the engine problem.

Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 Aircraft

Hong Kong's flag carrier currently operates a fleet of 33 Airbus A350 aircraft. In total, the airline has 11 Airbus A350-1000 and 22 Airbus A350-900 in its fleet.

Presently, Cathay Pacific is the third-largest Airbus A350 operator. The only airlines with more A350s in their fleet are Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.

A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 flying low, with the Hong Kong city skyline in the background.
Photo: Cathay Pacific.

Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350-900 aircraft offer seating for 280 passengers. There are 38 flatbed seats in Business Class, 28 seats in Premium Economy, and 214 seats in Economy Class.

The airline's Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, on the other hand, provide seating for as many as 334 passengers. There are 46 flatbed seats in Business Class, 32 seats in Premium Economy, and 256 seats in Economy Class.

Cathay Pacific launched service on the Airbus A350-900 in 2016 and added the larger Airbus A350-1000 in 2018. As a matter of fact, it also took delivery of B-LRJ, the aircraft which experienced the engine shutdown, in December of 2016.

The airline's A350 aircraft feature state-of-the-art cabins with panoramic views, reduced noise levels, and mood lighting. This means that they provide a comfortable environment for passengers. As well as this, they offer inflight Wi-fi with different internet access packages available for purchase.

Passengers aboard Cathay Pacific's A350 aircraft can also enjoy complimentary satellite TV on their 11.1-inch high definition touchscreen monitors.

The A350s not only offer a superior flying experience for passengers, though. The engines of the aircraft consume about 25% less fuel compared to other aircraft models. Accordingly, the aircraft are also more environmentally friendly.