Rolls-Royce launches tech to double aero engines’ duration

Rolls-Royce has launched technology, which will more than double the duration Trent 1000 engines remain in service before needing scheduled maintenance.

The engineering giant, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, has unveiled the first of two ‘Durability Enhancement Packages’.

Rolls-Royce said that increasing ‘time on wing’ for the Trent 1000 will bring ‘significantly improved asset utilisation, reduced maintenance burden and provide far greater fleet planning certainty for customers’.

The enhancement package has been installed in new engines since January 2025, ready for delivery to customers at the earliest opportunity post-certification.

They will now be distributed to maintenance facilities globally, to be retrofitted to engines that are already in service. Within two years all of the Trent 1000 fleet will have been upgraded.

Rolls-Royce said the upgraded components have already been enhancing durability since 2022 on its Trent 7000 engine. The has reported it is performing better than expected, and in some cases more than tripling time on wing.

The new technologies are part of the Trent fleet £1 billion durability enhancement programme, which incorporates the Trent 1000, Trent 7000, Trent XWB-84 and Trent XWB-97.

Chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic said: “The Trent 1000 is an important engine for us, and this marks a new chapter in its story.

“When upgraded, we’re confident that our customers and their passengers will benefit from increased durability, thanks to the proven enhancements that have already surpassed our expectations on the Trent 7000.

“As part of our ongoing transformation, the investment we have made in new technologies will see the Trent 1000 deliver for Boeing, our customers and our investors. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Phase two of the Durability Enhancement Package is currently being tested at Rolls-Royce’s facility in Derby and will bring a further 30% improvement in time on wing across the Trent 1000 and Trent 7000 fleets.