Rolls-Royce, the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines, won orders worth almost $2 billion from Air China and Ethiopian Airlines.The Chinese flag carrier ordered Trent 700EP engines to power 20 Airbus A330 aircrafts for a value of $1.5 billion, taking the airline’s fleet of Rolls-Royce powered A330s to 43 once the new planes, to be delivered from 2011, enter service. The contract includes maintenance, repair and overhaul. In China the Trent 700 has been chosen by nine customers to power 178 A330s.
Rolls-Royce said delays to the Airbus A380 and Boeing Co.’s 787 programs have cut planned capacity in the widebody sector, generating firmer demand for existing widebody products. The Trent 700 on the A330 has had strong demand, with more than 160 engines sold for the year so far. The company has more than 1,000 Trent 700 engines in service or on firm order.
Rolls-Royce is able to include technological advances into earlier Trent models as new versions are developed, the company said. Recently Rolls-Royce launched the Trent 700 Enhanced Performance engine with a 1.3% improved fuel consumption.
Bloomberg reports that Rolls- Royce has sold more than 1,000 XWBs, its best-selling engine.