China Airlines orders Trent engines

Taiwan’s

has awarded

a contract to supply and service Trent XWB engines to power a fleet of 14 firm and six option Airbus A350 XWB twinjets.

The potential value of the business, which follows a letter of intent signed between the airline and Airbus in 2007, is $1.3bn (£680m) at engine list prices, with deliveries due to begin in 2015.

Final engine configuration and selection of technologies for the Trent XWB are scheduled to be completed by mid-2008, leading to the start of ground-testing in 2010. A flying test bed programme will begin the following year, followed by airworthiness certification and first flight on the A350 XWB in 2012.

According to Rolls-Royce, by the time the Trent XWB enters service, Trent series engines will have accumulated more than 75 million flying hours.