Investigations are continuing into the cause of a Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engine failure aboard a Swiss Airbus A220-300 on 23 December that forced the twinjet to make an emergency landing in Graz. However, according to internal Swiss memos reported by German language news site AeroTelegraph, initial analysis shows the engine displayed a “previously unknown fault pattern”. Operating as flight LX1885 from Bucharest in Romania to Zurich, the A220 (HB-JCD) was at 40,000ft when the engine “suddenly and unexpectedly failed”, according to the Swiss memos. Both Pratt & Whitney and the safety authorities say there is no “fundamental, safety-relevant problem.” The PW1500G has been removed from the aircraft and is being sent to the USA for further examination. Swiss has previously experienced problems with the PW1500G, including two in-flight failures in 2019 related to the low-pressure compressor stage one rotor.<br/>
star
Heavy snow in Japan's northern region cancelled dozens of flights on Tuesday as millions of families were returning home to spend the New Year holiday with their loved ones. Japan Airlines said it scrapped 42 flights, affecting 6,398 passengers, by early afternoon, all of them services to and from the northernmost island of Hokkaido. Its main rival ANA also cancelled 14 flights, affecting 800 passengers, due to the rough weather in the north, and warned its customers of possible delays and more cancellations. At the main airport of Hokkaido, passengers formed long lines to secure alternative flights. Hokkaido and communities along northern coastlines facing the Sea of Japan were experiencing strong winds and heavy snow on Tuesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. More than 20cm of snow has fallen in some areas of Hokkaido since Monday, most of it on Tuesday morning, the weather agency said, adding that snowfall was expected to continue on New Year's Day. Japan's summer this year was the joint hottest on record - equalling the level seen in 2023 - as extreme heatwaves fuelled by climate change engulfed many parts of the globe. Autumn was the warmest since records began 126 years ago, according to the national weather agency. The famous snowcap of Mount Fuji was also absent for the longest recorded period this year, not appearing until early November, compared with the average of early October.<br/>