Rolls-Royce has received their largest-ever order for Trent XWB engines from Air India, who has signed a MoU for 68 engines and 20 options. The carrier also committed to purchasing 12 Trent XWB-84s, and the engines will power the airline's new Airbus A350 fleet.
On Tuesday (February 14, 2023), Rolls-Royce announced that Air India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire 68 Trent XWB engines and 20 options, Rolls-Royce’s largest order of the engine type in history. Air India has also committed to the acquisition of 12 Trent XWB-84 engines. The Trent engines will power the carrier’s new fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft. Rolls-Royce's Trent XWB is the world’s most efficient aero engine currently in service, offering a 15 percent fuel consumption advantage over the first generation Trent engine. Quiet and efficient, the Trent XWB is also ready to operate on a 50 percent SAF blend.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Rolls-Royce plc’s CEO, Tufan Erginbilgic, said,
“Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly remarkable occasion for Tata Group and Air India; the size and magnitude of this order reflects the level of their ambition for the future. I congratulate them on taking this bold step towards becoming one of the world’s greatest airlines and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce to power them on this journey. Air India is the first Indian airline to order the Trent XWB and the size of the commitment, including options, will make them the biggest operator of the Trent XWB-97 in the world. With a dynamic and growing aviation industry, India is a strategically important market for us and we look forward to working with Air India as they connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”
Also commenting on the milestone Trent XWB engine order, Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, said,
“We are delighted to commence this partnership with Rolls-Royce, and to have their Trent XWB engines power our new fleet of A350 aircraft. We are confident that they will provide us with the reliability and efficiency consumers expect of today’s leading airlines, and thereby play an important part in Vihaan.AI, Air India’s comprehensive transformation and growth strategy.”
Stakeholders Celebrate Air India's Landmark Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Engine Order - Courtesy Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce already has long-standing partnerships with Air India’s parent company, the Tata Group. These partnerships include a strong supply chain commitment to Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for the manufacture of significant Trent XWB components in India, as well as several precision components for other Rolls-Royce civil aerospace engines. Additionally, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) provides engineering services, especially in support of Rolls-Royce’s digital engineering and data innovation teams in India.
Source: Rolls-Royce