Engine deal for Rolls-Royce

Derby-based Rolls-Royce has won a multi-million-pound deal to supply a more powerful version of its Trent XWB engine to Cathay Pacific, to power 10 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.

The contract, which is subject to the approval of Cathay’s board, also includes a TotalCare agreement, which will see Rolls-Royce maintain the engines throughout their service life. As part of the deal, Cathay will also convert 16 orders for Airbus A350-900 aircraft to A350-1000s.

All 26 aircraft will be powered by the higher-thrust version of the Trent XWB engine, which has been developed in Derby specifically for the Airbus A350 XWB family and is the fastest-selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,100 already sold. Rolls-Royce announced over a year ago that it would be working on an enhanced version of the engine that would give the aircraft greater range and capacity.

The company has also announced plans to produce an advanced version of the Trent 1000 that powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Trent 1000-TEN will include technology developed for the Trent XWB; it will improve fuel consumption by 3% compared to the standard Trent 1000. The engine will enter service in 2016.