Japan's All Nippon Airways is the largest operator of Boeing 787s powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Package B engines which have been newly included in the UK manufacturer’s inspection regime to deal with durability issues.
On 11 June, R-R disclosed that intermediate compressor (IPC) blade cracking has been found on a “small number of high-life” Package B engines; previous statements and inspection requirements were related solely on the later Package C variant.
R-R says the Package B fleet comprises 166 engines and has been in service since 2012.
Flight Fleets Analyzer lists 61 in-service 787s and eight stored aircraft with Package B engines. This translates to 138 engines, but does not include any spare powerplants.
The fleet leader is an eight-year-old 787 that is being used by Boeing as a test aircraft.
ANA – which became the 787’s launch operator in 2011 – has 64 Dreamliners. Half of that fleet is equipped with Package B engines, while the balance uses either the Package C variant or R-R’s latest standard model for the 787, the Trent 1000-TEN.
The Japanese carrier’s Package B-powered 787s were built between 2010 and 2014, and represent the oldest equipment in the fleet under scrutiny.
While the technical status of engines depends on a range of factors – including utilisation, operational environment and route deployment – the equipment’s age is nonetheless an indicator of the powerplants' maturity
British Airways, LATAM Airlines Chile, Norwegian, Polish flag carrier LOT and Royal Brunei Airlines are the next largest Package B operators.
BA has eight Package B-powered 787s in its 27-strong Dreamliner fleet, which were built in 2013 and 2014, Fleets Analyzer records.
LATAM and Norwegian each have seven aircraft with the engine variant within their respective fleets of 24 and 29 Dreamliners; LATAM’s Package B-powered 787s were manufactured between 2012 and 2014, while Norwegian’s aircraft are between four and five years old.
Six aircraft among LOT’s 10-strong 787 fleet are equipped with Package B engines, and are, on average, five years old.
Royal Brunei Airlines’ entire 787 fleet of four aircraft, built in 2013 and 2014, are powered by B-variant engines
The remaining fleet of Package B-powered 787s spans singular aircraft at Air New Zealand, Avianca, Thai Airways and Saudi Arabia’s government, the Fleets Analyzer indicates.
R-R says the mandated maintenance action for Package B engines covers one-off, on-wing inspections and will “further inform our understanding” of the problem.
In April, the manufacturer directed operators to expand IPC inspections on Package C engines, and said that Package B equipment was not affected by the issue. R-R is in the process of designing new IPC blades, which are scheduled to become available later this year.
Redesigned parts will also be available for the latest TEN variant as a “precautionary measure”, the engine maker says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
