Rolls-Royce secures big engine order as Cathay restocks Airbus fleet
Published: 06:34 07 Aug 2024 EDT
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.) has secured an order for engines to power Cathay Pacific’s new fleet of Airbus Group (EPA:AIR) aircraft.
Some 60 Trent 7000 engines will be supplied and maintained by the FTSE 100-listed manufacturer under the order, a statement said on Wednesday.
These will power the Hong Kong-based airline’s 30 new Airbus A330-900s, which it said would be used to modernise an existing fleet of A330-300s.
“This order shows significant confidence in the Trent 7000/A330neo combination,” Rolls-Royce civil aerospace chief customer officer Ewen McDonald commented.
The engines will also benefit from a £1 billion investment in the Trent technology, he said, which was previously unveiled to lengthen the lifespan of Rolls-Royce’s power units.
Cathay’s chief operations officer, Alex McGowan, added the engines would aid “improved fuel efficiency to help [the airline] achieve our sustainability goals”.
According to Rolls-Royce, the Trent 7000 is proven to work using 100% sustainable aviation fuel and flies on a 50% blend in line with industry rules.
When the new jets will be delivered remains to be seen, with Airbus warning earlier this year that it was struggling to meet demand.
As of July, Airbus had 1,805 firm orders globally from over 130 operators, the plane maker added on Wednesday.
Rolls-Royce shares climbed 1.8% following the news.
