17th Jul 2006 12:18
17 July, 2006 ROLLS-ROYCE AND AIRBUS CONCLUDE PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT ON TRENT ENGINE FOR NEW A350 XWB Rolls-Royce has concluded a preliminary agreement to supply a next-generationTrent engine for the new A350 XWB twinjet being offered by Airbus.The engine, the sixth variant in the Trent series, would be capable of poweringall versions of the aircraft currently proposed.Mike Terrett, President - Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: "As a result ofpositive discussions with Airbus, we have concluded a preliminary frameworkagreement to make a new member of the Trent family available on the A350 XWB."Establishing a position on this programme is important for Rolls-Royce. Itbroadens our excellent working relationship with Airbus through a significantnew venture, and provides a strong platform as we aim to maintain our positionas the leading engine supplier for the new-generation widebody market."Engine design would again be based around the three-shaft architecture uniqueto all Rolls-Royce large engines, used throughout the Trent family as well asthe earlier RB211 series.The new programme would be subject to board approval.NOTE TO EDITORS: 1. Trent engine variants power three current Airbus aircraft. The Trent 700 is the market leader on the A330 with a 44 per cent share of orders and 29 customers/operators. The Trent 500 is the sole powerplant on growth versions of the four-engined A340 which began commercial operations in 2002. The Trent 900 is the only engine currently powering the A380 through its successful flight testing programme. 2. Rolls-Royce is a senior shareholder in International Aero Engines (IAE) which produces the V2500 engine for A320 series aircraft. IAE has more than 100 customers in 35 countries, with over 5,000 engines delivered or on order. 3. Rolls-Royce has an order book of ‚£24.4 billion and a turnover last year of ‚£6.6 billion, of which 53 per cent came from civil aerospace. Income from services currently represents 59 per cent of civil aerospace sales. For further information:Martin JohnsonVice President, CommunicationsRolls-RoyceEmail: [email protected] International AirshowHall 4, Stand G17Chalet D1-4, Row DTel: +44 (0)1252 523610ENDROLLS-ROYCE GROUP PLCRelated Shares:
Rolls-Royce