Rolls-Royce Trents power first A380 delivery to Singapore Airlines

Rolls-Royce today expressed its great pride in developing and delivering the Trent 900 engine, which powers the first A380 aircraft presented to launch customer Singapore Airlines at a special ceremony at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse.

Sir John Rose, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, said that the A380 had captured the imagination of both the aerospace industry and the public.

“It is vital that our industry strives for continuous improvement. Rolls-Royce is committed to investing in technology to deliver increased efficiency and improvements in environmental performance, and the Trent 900 is a good example of the success of this strategy. The efforts of our engineers and the entire Rolls-Royce development team have enabled us to play a full part in this landmark delivery,” he added.

Sir John paid tribute to the vision and commitment of both Airbus and Singapore Airlines.

“By launching the A380 into service, Singapore Airlines has scored another first. We are delighted to have the opportunity to extend our valued partnership with such an innovative airline,” he said.

Eight out of the 11 airline customers who have made A380 engine selections to date have chosen the Trent 900, giving Rolls-Royce a market-leading 61 per cent share of firm and option orders.

The Trent 900, one of the most powerful engines ever produced by Rolls-Royce, has been designed to minimise its environmental impact, and will operate well within the requirements of all current and proposed legislation on emissions. The Trent-powered A380 comfortably meets the stringent noise limits for airports such as London Heathrow, one of the aircraft’s early destinations for Singapore Airlines.

Trent 900 engines have accumulated over 14,000 flying hours on four of the five A380s used in the flight test programme.