Rolls-Royce wins $5bn Delta Air Lines order for 50 Trent engines

Rolls-Royce has won a $5bn order for Trent engines and long-term service support from Delta Air Lines to power 50 new aircraft, which include 25 Trent XWB engines for Airbus A350s and 25 Trent 7000 engines to power an equal number of Airbus A330neo aircraft.

Rolls-Royce has so far sold over 1,500 Trent XWB civil aero engines, which is used in wide-body aircraft. It will power the first A350 XWB into service later this year. The Trent 7000 was launched this year as the exclusive power plant of the new A330neo and has already been selected to power a total of 152 aircraft, the company said in a release.

''We are pleased to be working closely with Rolls-Royce to power aircraft that will be a vital part of our future, providing a new level of excellence on our Pacific, Atlantic and Latin American routes,'' Nat Pieper, vice president of fleet strategy and transactions of Delta Air Lines, said.

''We are proud to be selected to power Delta's new generation of aircraft and look forward to deepening our relationship with a long-standing and valued customer. It is further evidence of the success of the Trent XWB in the market and represents a powerful vote of confidence in our newly-launched Trent 7000,'' said John Rishton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce said the order will result in an increase in the group's order book of $3bn, adding that its relationship with Delta Air Lines dated back more than 40 years when the RB211 engine powered the Lockheed L1011 Tristar.

Delta Air Lines currently operates eight Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Trent 800 engines, and 47 Boeing 717 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce BR710 engines. The Boeing 717 fleet will increase to 88, it added.

Rolls-Royce operates two main business segments - Aerospace and Land & Sea. These business segments address markets with two strong technology platforms, gas turbines and reciprocating engines.

Aerospace comprises Civil Aerospace and Defence Aerospace. Land & Sea comprises Marine, Nuclear & Energy and Power Systems.

Rolls-Royce had, on 6 May 2014, announced the signing of an agreement to sell its energy gas turbine and compressor business to Siemens for a £785 million cash consideration. On completion, expected before the end of December 2014, Rolls-Royce will receive a further £200 million for a 25-year licensing agreement.