Rolls-Royce has outlined a provision for its maintenance effort to address technical issues in its Trent 1000 powerplants for the Boeing 787.
Chief executive Warren East referred, during a half-year results briefing, to "in-service challenges" the company was facing in its civil aerospace business, stating that this was a "big issue for us right now".
He says the scheduled programme of maintenance, particularly centred on the Trent 1000, is "causing some problems" for the company and its customers.
But East stresses that Rolls-Royce is "working very hard" to minimise operational disruption.
Rolls-Royce says it has redesigned elements of its service programme – through "various 'lean' improvement initiatives" – in order to reduce lead time, and return engines to operation more quickly and reduce the impact on operators.
It says additional maintenance activity on Trent 1000s comprises the largest component of increased technical costs of £59 million in the six months to 30 June. The company says a provision has been taken in respect of costs relating to the work, and is included in the technical costs as well as a specific customer contract provision.
Rolls-Royce adds that it expects "increased activity" in the second half of this year relating to the maintenance programme which, it adds, is dealing with "a number of technical issues".
Source: Cirium Dashboard
