ALAFCO and Rolls-Royce sign contract for Trent XWBs

ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company, the Kuwait-based international aircraft leasing company, and Rolls-Royce today signed a contract at the Dubai Airshow, confirming an order for Trent XWB engines to power 12 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.

The business, previously announced at the Paris Air Show in June this year, is valued at $480 million at list prices. Deliveries are due to start in 2015.

The contract was signed by Ahmad Alzabin, Chairman and CEO of ALAFCO, and Mick Forey, Senior Vice President - Airlines at Rolls-Royce.

Mr Alzabin said: “We are delighted to welcome Rolls-Royce to the ALAFCO stable. The Trent XWB offers benefits for a wide range of airlines, as demonstrated by its success around the world. This, coupled with their commitment to customer support, means that we are very happy to sign this agreement, and we look forward to many years of partnership together.”

Mick Forey added: “Rolls-Royce is delighted ALAFCO has become a Trent customer and we look forward to sharing long term success with them.”

Delivering 74,000 - 92,000lb of thrust, the Trent XWB is the sixth member of the market-leading Trent engine family, and the only engine currently available for the Airbus A350 XWB twinjet.

Rolls-Royce has a growing presence in the Middle East, where it is playing an important role in the development of the region across all the Group’s sectors - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.

The Trent engine family has been ordered by many of Middle East customers, including ALAFCO, Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air and Qatar, powering Boeing 777s, A330s, A340s, A350 XWBs and A380. The International Aero Engines V2500 is also operated widely.


More information on Rolls-Royce in the Middle East is available on www.rolls-royce.com/middle_east/default.htm