A problem unfolded several minutes after take-off on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar24. The five-year-old A350-1000 plane performed two wide circles and dumped fuel over the sea before returning to Hong Kong where it landed safely about 75 minutes after its departure. Cathay Pacific said it identified an engine component failure after the aircraft returned to Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific has not specified which engine component failed, but the carrier said it was the "first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide".

The airline said it had "identified a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced" but did not say on which model aircraft.