Rolls-Royce is facing demands that it bear the brunt of the massive costs airlines are incurring because of reliability and performance shortfalls of their RB.211-524G/H engines. The problems, which affect more than 100 RB.211-powered Boeing 747-400s and 767-300s, are estimated already to have cost the airlines more than $200 million in additional maintenance and operational expenses.
The demands come as R-R is in discussions with carriers such as Cathay Pacific over retrofitting their -524G/Hs with the core, or 04 module, of the Trent 700, to form a "hybrid" known as the -524GT. The modification is expected to cost $2.5 million per engine, although the net cost to the airlines is closer to $1.75 million, because they avoid paying for an overhaul of the core which is removed. The hybrid is expected to be test-cell certificated in April, after which flight testing will begin.
One airline source says that the price to the customers of the modifications will reflect the losses that they have incurred in performance shortfalls and extra maintenance costs. The airlines are taking different approaches on who pays for what, but at least one carrier may press for direct compensation.
High-pressure (HP) turbine-blade failures in existing -524G/Hs have resulted in engines being removed for overhaul after 1,400 cycles rather than the 2,000-plus cycles of competing engines, while inadequate exhaust-gas temperature (EGT) margins mean that maximum thrust is not available at "hot-and-high" airfields. Fuel consumption is also higher than expected. R-R began offering "2C" single-crystal HP turbine blades in 1994, to replace earlier "2B" blades in an attempt to eliminate the problems - although these have also experienced shroud failures.
Cathay Pacific and South African Airways (SAA) are understood to be closest to signing deals with R-R for the hybrid retrofit. "SAA believes that the replacement of the 04 module will solve the 2B [blade] failures and 2C shroud failures," says Dieter Kleinen, senior manager, aircraft, at SAA. There is also "-a potential to increase the EGT margin and improve fuel consumption", he adds. "SAA is still in discussion with R-R regarding the cost of the package and has not yet reached a final agreement," he says.
British Airways, meanwhile, is understood to have told R-R that the hybrid option is too expensive, and is in talks over fitting 2C blades instead. The airline is having to perform 60% more engine changes than expected on its fleet. BA's bargaining position over the cost of the solution is strengthened by the fact that it must select an engine for 14 747-400s on order soon.
R-R says that it has "-worked with customers to address some in-service incidents. We have agreed programmes covering technical and commercial matters, but it is not our policy to discuss these."
Source: Flight International
