Hong Kong aviation investigators say an engine problem that caused Cathay Pacific to ground its entire fleet of Airbus A350 jets for inspection earlier this month could have escalated into “extensive damage.

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.

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

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.

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 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.