ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT XWB SALES TOP 1,000 IN $480M ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CONTRACT

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, announced that Ethiopian Airlines has ordered Trent XWB engines worth $480m at list prices. This order takes sales of the Trent XWB, the fastest-selling Trent engine, past 1,000.


The engines, the first Trent purchase by the airline, will power 12 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, with entry into service beginning in 2017.

Girma Wake, Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines, said: “As one of Africa’s leading airlines, we constantly seek to improve our range and frequency of international services to meet growing passenger demand. Our selection of low fuel burn Trent technology will enable us to do this in the most cost-effective way.”

Metin Oktay, Rolls-Royce Vice President Customer Business - Africa, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to the Trent family of customers. African airlines are continuing to invest in response to growing global customer demand. The Trent XWB, our latest Trent, will provide Ethiopian Airlines with leading edge technology which will keep costs to a minimum.”

Specifically designed for the A350 XWB, the Trent XWB is the most fuel efficient and environmentally sensitive large engine design on the market, with fuel efficiency ratings 28 per cent higher than pre-Trent generation engines.
Notes to editors

1. Rolls-Royce, a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. In each sector, Rolls-Royce offer value-added long-term service agreements for customers and operators.

2. In 2008, Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of emissions.

3. Annual underlying revenues were £9.1 billion in 2008, of which 52 per cent came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book stood at £57.5 billion at 30 June 2009, providing visibility of future levels of activity.

4. Ethiopian Airlines is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and a leading carrier in Africa. It serves both Africa, including the only daily east-west flight across the continent, and 58 international destinations. More than 210 weekly international departures are made from Addis Ababa and 555 weekly international departures worldwide.