Emirates will take its Rolls-Royce-powered Airbus A380 fleet to 33 aircraft once deliveries of the remaining 14 are complete.
Rolls-Royce had been set to fit the Trent 900 to 52 A380s but the Dubai-based airline is cutting its A380 orders, slashing 39 from its backlog. The Trent 900 had been selected for 19 of those, while no engine choice had been made for the other 20.
Emirates will take a total of 123 A380s, of which 90 are fitted with the rival Engine Alliance GP7200.
While the loss of 19 Trent-powered aircraft from the original agreement for 52 amounts to around 76 engines, Emirates will offer consolation to Rolls-Royce through a new agreement to take A330neo and A350 twinjets.
Emirates is to take 40 A330-900s, all powered exclusively by the Trent 7000, plus 30 A350-900s, all fitted solely with the Trent XWB – equating to at least 140 engines.
Rolls-Royce says the agreement with Emirates includes long-term service support.
Emirates will become “one of the largest users” of Trent engines as a result of the A330neo and A350 agreements, says Rolls-Royce civil aerospace president Chris Cholerton.
Rolls-Royce is also providing Trent 900s to three A380s bound for Japan’s All Nippon Airways.
“We will support the whole Trent 900 fleet in service throughout its lifetime,” the manufacturer stresses.
Cholerton says the company is “obviously saddened” at the decision to axe A380 production, describing the jet as a “world-class feat of engineering”.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
