Rolls-Royce secures £4bn engine deal
AERO engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has secured a major new order from an Asian airline worth almost £4bn.
The deal with AirAsia X goes a long way towards lifting some of the gloom which has shrouded the company in recent months due to a phased restructuring programme which has resulted in 2,600 job losses and the likely closure of operations – including a factory in Coventry.
However, the order is still a reduction on what had been previously specified by the airline.
The latest deal will see Rolls-Royce supply engines to power 10 Airbus A330ceo and 55 Airbus A330neo aircraft. The deal, worth £3.9bn ($6.2bn), also includes the long-term TotalCare support package.
The A330ceos will be powered by the market-leading Trent 700 and the A330neos will be powered by the recently-launched Trent 7000 engine.
In July this year, Rolls-Royce welcomed an initial AirAsia X decision to select 50 A330neo aircraft. The airline had previously ordered 25 A330ceos, powered by another provider, and this has now been altered to 10 aircraft, powered by the Trent 700.
It is the largest order for the Trent 7000 engine since it was launched earlier this year. A total of 132 A330neos have now been selected by airlines and leasing companies.
The selection takes the firm AirAsia X A330ceo/A330neo fleet to 96, including aircraft sourced from operating leases, which will make the airline the largest operator of the A330 family. All are powered by Rolls-Royce engines.
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, co-founder and director of AirAsia X – and also chairman of Queens Park Rangers Football Club, said: “We are making a significant fleet expansion with A330ceo and A330neo aircraft and it is great to have Rolls-Royce on board for both. The Trent 700 and A330ceo remains a great combination and will give us real continuity as we move forward to the A330neo and Trent 7000.”
Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Large Engines said: “This is a significant decision from a customer that continues to grow and look to the future. Whichever type of A330 operators want to select, the Trent is the natural choice for the best economics.”
The Trent 700 has won two-thirds (67%) of new orders over the last three years and accounts for a similar percentage on future A330ceo deliveries. More than 1,500 Trent 700s are now in service or on firm order, making it the largest in-service Trent engine.
The Trent 7000 brings together:
• Experience from the Trent 700 – the engine of choice for the current A330
• Architecture and technology from the Trent 1000 TEN – the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine
Rolls-Royce says the 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000 will deliver significant performance benefits compared to the current version of the Trent 700. It will improve specific fuel consumption by 10%; have twice the bypass ratio; and will halve noise levels.
