An engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 earlier this month was the result of a fuel leak and could have caused extensive damage to the plane, according to investigators. Hong Kong’s flagship airline grounded planes after being forced to turn a flight around a couple of weeks ago because of an "engine component failure".

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 probe by Hong Kong's aviation accident investigation agency revealed Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 engine failed in-flight due to a ruptured fuel hose which also showed signs of a fire, the agency's report stated on Thursday.

A midair engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. flight earlier this month could have spread and caused widespread damage to the plane, a preliminary report said, as investigations continue into the incident and the failed components.

A probe by Hong Kong's aviation accident investigation agency revealed Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 engine failed in-flight due to a damaged fuel hose which also showed signs of a fire, the agency's report stated on Thursday.