Shares of engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce fell by 6.5% after Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific reported an engine problem with one of its Airbus A350 long-haul aircraft. The airline stated it had initiated an inspection of its entire A350 fleet as a precaution after a "component failure" was detected in one of the engines.

The incident occurred on a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich when the plane had to return to Hong Kong due to an engine problem. Cathay Pacific stated that this was the first such failure of this component on an A350 worldwide. "We have identified a number of identical engine components that need to be replaced," the airline explained, adding that replacement parts have already been secured and repair work has begun.

The inspection of Cathay Pacific's 48 A350 aircraft will lead to delays and flight cancellations in the coming days. By Tuesday, at least 24 round-trip flights had already been canceled.

Rolls-Royce, the exclusive engine manufacturer for the A350, confirmed that the affected aircraft was powered by Trent XWB-97 engines. "We are working closely with the airline, the aircraft manufacturer, and the relevant authorities to support the investigation of this incident," the company said, without providing further details.

Airbus, the manufacturer of the A350, referred inquiries to Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) stated that it would monitor the results of the technical investigation.

Currently, there are 86 A350-1000 aircraft in operation worldwide, and Cathay Pacific is one of the largest operators of these planes. Other major operators such as Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic were also contacted to get their reactions to the incident.