European regulators have pinpointed a potentially flawed cleaning process during maintenance as investigators probe an engine fire that caused a Cathay Pacific Airbus jet carrying 348 people to turn back to base.

European regulators have widened the number of Rolls-Royce Trent engines affected by a potential fuel hose defect, in an updated directive issued 19 September following an engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000.

Europe's aviation regulator on Thursday linked a recent engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 to a possible problem with the maintenance of its Rolls-Royce engines.The European Union Aviation Sa

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Thursday gave an update on the inspections it ordered on Rolls-Royce-made engines used in Airbus A-350 aircrafts following a security incident, pointing to issues possibly stemming from a cleaning process.

A cleaning process leading to fuel hose degradation during refurbishment may have caused a recent Airbus A350 engine fire that triggered dozens of Cathay Pacific flight cancellations this month, the EU aviation regulator said Thursday.

A Hong Kong aviation investigation revealed Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 engine failure was due to a ruptured fuel hose. The incident highlighted potential risks of engine fires caused by fuel leaks.

An engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 earlier this month was traced back to a fuel leak, which investigators believe could have resulted in significant damage to the aircraft.