RR wins China Eastern engine deal

Rolls-Royce announced it had won a US$450 million contract to supply its Trent 700 aircraft engines to power 20 Airbus A330-300 twin jets for China Eastern Airlines. In 2003 the airline saw five Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered Airbus A340-600 aircraft enter service, the first Trent engines delivered to a Chinese airline. Charles Cuddington, managing director of Rolls-Royce's aero-engines division said: "China continues to be a key market for Rolls-Royce and, as one of the country's top three airlines, we are delighted to see China Eastern again choose Trent power."