Rolls-Royce lands new aero engine deals at Farnborough Airshow

Rolls-Royce is enjoying a highly productive week at the Farnborough International Airshow.

At the event, the engineering giant, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, has so far agreed deals with Philippine Airlines and Somon Air.

The Memorandum of Understanding with Philippine Airlines is for 18 Trent XWB-97 engines, which will power nine Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.

Meanwhile, the deal with Somon Air will see Rolls-Royce provide four Trent 1000 XE engines to power its two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Speaking about the deal with Philippine Airlines, Rob Watson, president of civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “We are proud to continue strengthening our long-standing relationship with Philippine Airlines.

“The Trent XWB-97 is an exceptional engine, renowned for its proven reliability and efficiency, making it our best-selling engine over the past 18 months.”

The Trent XWB-97 is the exclusive engine for the A350.

A proposal for Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service, which will cover the health and maintenance of the fleet, has also been signed.

Rob added: “Combined with the comprehensive operational support provided by TotalCare, this order will enable Philippine Airlines to maximise their operational performance as they continue expanding their A350-1000 fleet.”

Lucio C. Tan III, president and chief operating officer of PAL Holdings Inc, said: “This investment manifests our confidence in the future of Philippine Airlines.

“Together, the Airbus A350-1000 and the Trent XWB-97 engine will continue to define our flagship long-haul operations for many years to come.

“Our TotalCare agreement complements this investment by providing comprehensive maintenance support that helps maximize fleet availability while giving us greater confidence in long-term maintenance planning and cost predictability.”

The deal follows PAL’s previous order for nine Trent XWB-97-powered Airbus A350-1000 in 2023.

Somon Air’s order follows a recent order for six Trent 1000 XE for LATAM in April this year.

The Trent 1000 XE engines feature several upgrades. This includes a re-engineered high-pressure turbine blade that increases cooling air flow by 40%, offering up to triple the time-on-wing of its predecessor.

Ewen McDonald, chief customer officer at Rolls-Royce, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Somon Air to Rolls-Royce with the Trent 1000 XE.

“It’s a great privilege and one that we hope marks the start of a long and successful partnership aligned to our shared ambitions.

“We’re also delighted to welcome a further vote of confidence from the market in the Trent 1000 XE, which, enabled by our ongoing transformation, has enhancements that offer up to triple time on wing, reduced maintenance and greater certainty in fleet planning.”