First Rolls-Royce-powered Airbus A350 XWB handed over to airline
THE first of the aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce’s new Trent XWB engine has been officially handed over to its end-user. Qatar Airways is operating the Airbus A350 XWB.
Representatives from the airline, planemaker and aero engine manufacturer gathered at a ceremony at the Airbus factory in Toulouse for the handover ceremony.
The Trent XWB is the sole power plant available for the Airbus A350 XWB. It is the world’s most efficient large civil aero engine and more than 1,500 engines have already been sold to 40 customers.
Sales of the Trent XWB account for over half of the Rolls-Royce civil aerospace order book. The engine is expected to be in service for many years, creating a valuable pipeline for Rolls-Royce, especially with aftermarket services agreements.
His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways, Group Chief Executive Officer said: “As the global launch customer, we are pleased to take delivery of the first Airbus A350 XWB aircraft today. We look forward to working closely with Rolls-Royce to ensure that we provide our customers with a truly five-star service from day one.”
Fabrice Brégier, Airbus, President and Chief Executive, said: “This is a great moment for Airbus and I would like to thank Rolls-Royce for its commitment to deliver these next generation, fuel-efficient and quiet Trent XWB engines that contribute to meeting our customers’ expectations for a truly world-class aircraft that represents innovation at its best and destined to shape the future of air travel.”
John Rishton, Rolls-Royce, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very proud to have worked with Qatar Airways and Airbus to produce the A350 XWB, using the latest technology to deliver new standards in customer service. This is a very important day for everyone at Rolls-Royce. It is the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new chapter for our business.”
The A350 XWB delivers a 25% fuel burn improvement compared to previous generation aircraft. The Trent XWB is also one of the quietest engines that Rolls-Royce has ever produced for the wide-body market.
The engine is the result of years of research and development and advanced engineering of more than 20,000 parts. It has been tested to extremes of performance on the ground and in the air around the world. It is the sixth member the Trent engine family which, along with the RB211, has been powering airliners around the globe for four decades.
Qatar Airways has ordered 80 A350 XWBs (43 A350-900s and 37 A350-1000s) and is scheduled to take delivery of eight of the aircraft by the end of 2015.
The aircraft will enter daily commercial service with Qatar Airways, flying from Hamad International Airport, Doha, to Frankfurt International Airport from January 2015.
