Rolls-Royce lands major Taiwanese airline deal

The Trent XWB engine

Rolls-Royce has landed a multi-million pound deal to build 17 Trent XWB engines for Starlux Airlines of Taiwan.

The airline has ordered 12 A350-1000s Airbus aircraft and five A350-900s – both of which are powewered by the Trent XWB.

Starlux Airlines is a new, full-service airline based in Taipei and founded by Taiwanese aviation veteran Chang Kuo-wei, former chairman of EVA Air. The carrier will develop a network spanning destinations across Asia and long-haul services to North America. The carrier will launch regional operations in early 2020, followed by long-haul services early in 2022.

Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, chief customer officer – civil aerospace, said: “It is a real pleasure to welcome STARLUX Airlines to our growing family of engine operators. They are an airline with clear ambition and we look forward to a smooth entry into service, marking the start of what we hope will become a long and successful relationship.”

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