European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a new airworthiness directive to inspect fuel lines on a wider range of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines after it identified a cleaning process that can degrade those lines. That appears to have caused an engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 as it was departing Hong Kong to Zurich on 2 September. The incident led EASA to issue a 9 September airworthiness directive to inspect fuel lines on Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, which are the sole powerplants used on A350-1000s. "Since EASA issued [the earlier AD], in-service and in-shop inspections have identified that a specific cleaning process available during engine refurbishment may lead to fuel manifold main fuel hose degradation”, states the EU agency in a 19 September airworthiness directive. The new directive expands the inspections to other Trent XWB variants, namely the -75, -79, -79B and -84 engines, saying they were also "the subject of the suspect cleaning process" and could be “potentially affected by the unsafe condition addressed by this AD." Trent XWB-84 engines power all A350-900s, while the -75 and -79 variants were developed for the now-defunct -800 variant. The agency adds that the latest directive "supersedes" the previous AD and "requires repetitive inspections and corrective actions for affected populations of engines". Operators of the affected engines have 30 days to comply with the directive from 3 October. EASA says that since the degraded fuel lines were discovered, the affected cleaning process has been discontinued by maintenance organisations, and Rolls-Royce issued a service bulletin to “provide repetitive inspections” for engines affected by the cleaning process. It adds that investigation is still “ongoing to identify the root cause of the event”. The new AD came out the same day that Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) released a preliminary report into the engine fire, stating that a post-flight examination of the engine showed a rupture in a fuel hose. "The steel braided sheath of the fuel hose (secondary fuel manifold hose) connecting to the No.17 fuel spray nozzle had a rupture, evidenced by a discernible hole in the hose," it states, adding that "five additional secondary fuel manifold hoses were found to have either frayed metal braids or collapsed structures inside the hose". Furthermore, "black soot was observed on the aft section of the core engine, indicating signs of a fire. Burn marks were also noted on the underside of the two thrust reverser cowls". The authority says the engine fire could have resulted in more severe damage if it had not been contained quickly. "If not promptly detected and addressed, this situation, along with further failures, could escalate into a more serious engine fire, potentially causing extensive damage to the aircraft," it states.

Gabonese carrier Afrijet has ordered one ATR 42-600 and taken an option for another of the type with the airframer. Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for 2025, while a slot in 2026 has been allocated to the option. ATR says the on-order aircraft will replace an ATR 42-500 in Afrijet's fleet and operate for FlyGabon in a 46-seat layout. FlyGabon operates two ATR 72-600s today, the airframer notes. "The acquisition of this ATR 42-600 represents a significant step forward in FlyGabon's fleet development," states Afrijet general manager Nyl Moret-Mba. Fleets data shows that Afrijet has four ATR 72-600s, one ATR 42-500 and one ATR 72-500 freighter.

Emirates will introduce its refurbished Boeing 777 with enhanced cabins on Chicago, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle routes and Miami via Bogota and Newark via Athens linked routes. The Dubai-based carrier says it is planning to deploy the aircraft on its Chicago and Boston routes from 1 November and 10 December, respectively. The 777 aircraft will be deployed from 9 January 2025 on the Dallas Fort Worth route and from 24 January 2025 for the Seattle route. The carrier will also use this aircraft on Newark/Athens and Miami/Bogota flights from 10 February 2025 and 1 March 2025, respectively. The four-class 777 features six or eight first class suites, 38 or 40 business class seats in a 1-2-1 arrangement, 24 seats in premium economy, and 256 economy class seats. With the deployment of its 777 aircraft, flights to and from 10 of the 12 gateways in its US network will feature premium economy by February 2025. These products will also be available to two cities in Latin America, with Bogota joining Sao Paulo.