Singapore Airlines grounds part of Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet due to engine problems

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has removed two of its nine Boeing 787-10 aircraft from service due to engine issues. It is more bad news for Boeing following the worldwide grounding of its popular 737 MAX passenger jet.

“During recent routine inspections of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines on Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 787-10 fleet, premature blade deterioration was found on some engines,” the carrier said in a statement on Tuesday.

Two SIA 787-10 aircraft have been removed from service pending engine replacements, while other jets equipped with the model of the Rolls-Royce engine are awaiting precautionary inspections that are to be finished by April 3.

Singapore Airlines said that some of the company’s flights have been affected by the grounding, but did not elaborate on the number of the flights and passengers affected. The company is now seeking a replacement to “minimize schedule disruption to customers.”

The airline says it was the first to fly the new 337-seat Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. The planes are reportedly deployed in 11 destinations, including Bangkok, Denpasar, Fukuoka, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Nagoya, New Delhi, Osaka, Perth, Taipei, and Tokyo.

It is not the first time Rolls-Royce engine flaws, and in particular, blades deteriorating faster than expected, have caused aircraft groundings. Last year, around 40 Dreamliners were suspended from operations for immediate engine checks, according to Bloomberg.

US aerospace giant Boeing has been facing serious challenges, including orders withdrawal and pressure from regulators and airlines after its 737 MAX jet was involved in two deadly crashes in less than half a year.

A March accident involving the plane killed all 157 people on board in Ethiopia. The tragedy followed Indonesia's Lion Air 737 MAX 8 crash in October that killed 189 passengers and crew. Since then more than 300 Boeing 737 MAX jets have been grounded worldwide, while the investigation into the incident goes on.

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