Rolls-Royce announces biggest ever order of Trent XWB-97 engines as Air India signs MOU for 68 (+ 20 options) & 12 Trent XWB-84 engines
15 February 2023
Rolls-Royce has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines, plus options for 20 more. This is the biggest ever order for the Trent XWB-97, which exclusively powers the Airbus A350-1000. Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus A350-900.
This is the first time that an Indian airline has ordered the Trent XWB and the deal will make Air India the largest operator of the Trent XWB-97 in the world. Financial details of the order are not being disclosed.
Trent XWB-97
The Trent XWB will support Tata Group and Air India’s ambitious growth plans for the airline, providing reliability, flexibility and efficiency to its fleet as it takes on ultra-long-range routes between India and the US. The choice of the latest generation of Rolls-Royce engines also reflects Tata Group’s vision for Air India to become the world’s most technologically advanced airline, with a focus on service, competing on the world stage to deliver best-in-class customer experience.
With a 15% fuel consumption advantage over the first generation of Trent engine, the Trent XWB goes further on less fuel, and offers leading performance and noise levels. It is also ready to operate on a 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel blend.
The size of the Air India order reflects the increasing demand for air travel in India, which now has the third biggest airline market in the world and is ranked as the fifth largest economy globally. The rise of aviation has been fueled by continued business growth, favourable government policies, sustained infrastructure development, rising disposable incomes and the travel aspirations of its young, affluent middle class.
Industry forecasts expect air passenger traffic in India to grow at more than 6% per year; the industry will require more than 400 medium and large aircraft to support demand. This makes India a strategically important market for Rolls-Royce as it represents enormous growth potential for its products and services far into the future.
Rolls-Royce already has long-standing partnerships with the Tata Group. These include a strong supply chain commitment with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) for the manufacture of a significant number of parts for the Trent XWB engine in India, as well as several high-precision components for other Rolls-Royce civil aerospace engines. In addition, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) provides engineering services, particularly to support Rolls-Royces’s digital engineering and data innovation teams in India.
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