Rolls-Royce lands major engine order to power freighter fleet

Rolls-Royce has secured a deal to supply aero engines to power a new fleet of freighter aircraft operated by a customer in the Americas.

Atlas Air Worldwide has agreed to place an order for 40 Trent XWB-97 engines, which will power 20 Airbus A350F freighter aircraft.

The fleet will be covered by Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service, which will cover the health and maintenance of the engines.

Derby is home to Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division, which designs, develops and manufactures the Trent family of engines.

Rob Watson, president of civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “This announcement is another endorsement of the Trent XWB-97’s proven reliability.

“It’s the largest order of the Trent XWB-97 powered Airbus A350F to date and the biggest aircraft order in Atlas’ history.

“We thank Atlas for its trust in Rolls-Royce and look forward to supporting these new aircraft when they enter service.”

The Trent XWB-97 has proven its reliability and durability over eight years of service and more than four million engine flying hours.

Michael Steen, chief executive at Atlas Air Worldwide, said: “We are proud to become the first customer of the Trent XWB-97 powered Airbus A350F in the Americas.

“This order reflects our commitment to maintaining the industry’s most modern and efficient widebody fleet to best serve our customers worldwide.

“We are confident in the Trent XWB-97 and A350F combination and are pleased to add Airbus and Rolls-Royce to our supplier base.”