Rolls-Royce welcomes back customer for Dreamliner engines

Rolls-Royce has welcomed back a customer for aero engines which power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

LATAM Airlines has selected Rolls-Royce, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, to supply Trent 1000 XE engines to power three Dreamliners.

The Trent 1000 XE engines feature several upgrades following Rolls-Royce’s certified two-phase durability enhancement programme.

This includes a re-engineered high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade that increases cooling air flow by 40%, offering more than double the time-on-wing of its predecessor.

Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive at Rolls-Royce, said: “We’re proud that LATAM Airlines has returned to Rolls-Royce as its Boeing 787 engine partner.

“This order demonstrates growing market confidence in the Trent 1000 XE and reflects the benefits that our ongoing transformation is delivering.”

Rolls-Royce has made a significant investment in its MRO network, delivering an increase in annual shop-visit capacity and reduction in turnaround times, with new dedicated Trent 1000 XE facilities in the UK, Singapore and Germany.

This investment sits on top of a broader £1 billion commitment to the development and enhancement of the Trent engine family.

Mr Erginbilgic added: “Our significant investments to improve time on wing and expand our MRO network mean we are giving customers like LATAM Airlines a truly competitive engine choice that can help them achieve their growth ambitions.

“I am confident the decision to select Trent 1000 XE engines for their latest Boeing 787 aircraft, coupled with a strong long-term relationship with Rolls-Royce, will help LATAM achieve their market ambitions.”