Rolls-Royce joined with customer Cathay Pacific and Airbus to celebrate the delivery of the 1,000th Trent 700 engine. Cathay Pacific was the first airline to operate the Trent 700 in 1995. Since then, the engine, which powers the Airbus A330, has become the largest selling member of the Trent engine family, with more than 1,400 in service or on order.

Christopher Gibbs, Engineering Director, Cathay Pacific, and Christian Favre, A330 Chief Engineer, Airbus, visited Rolls-Royce in Derby, UK, to officially witness the handover of the 1,000th engine.

Christopher Gibbs said: “I’m pleased to celebrate this achievement with Rolls-Royce and Airbus. As the largest Trent 700 customer, we have worked closely with Rolls-Royce throughout the life of the engine. Trent 700 technology and Rolls-Royce support provides have helped us deliver our objectives and serve our customers.”

Christian Favre said: “I congratulate Rolls-Royce on this milestone. The relationship between Rolls-Royce and Airbus is longstanding and we share an exciting future.”

Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, Chief Operating Officer – Civil Aerospace, said: “The Trent 700 was specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and its superior performance has made it a market leader. Its first commercial flight with Cathay Pacific began the Trent engine family’s success and demand for the engine remains strong today.”

The Trent 700 has secured more than half the market share overall and more than 75 per cent in the last three years. Its success is the result of a combination of fuel efficiency and environmental performance, with the lowest emissions and noise on the A330.

The engine has also benefitted from a commitment by Rolls-Royce to introduce advanced technologies from later Trent engines. This has resulted in a further one per cent reduction in fuel consumption on latest versions of the engine.

Trent 700 facts:

It is estimated that at any one time 40,000 passengers are flying on a Trent 700 powered A330. More than 400 Trent 700 powered A330s are in service – on average a Trent 700 powered A330 takes-off or lands somewhere around the world once every 40 seconds.
An enhanced performance version of the engine, with improved fuel consumption, was introduced in 2009. It incorporates Trent 900 and Trent 1000 technology.
Cathay Pacific has 67 Trent 700 powered A330s either in service or on order.