Rolls-Royce wins order from CIT to power 23 aircraft

Rolls-Royce has won an order from US leasing company CIT Aerospace for Trent XWB engines to power ten Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and Trent 700 engines to power 13 Airbus A330 aircraft.

The Trent XWB engines will power ten CIT A350 aircraft that were announced in January 2013 which were in addition to five A350 XWB aircraft already on order. Jeff Knittel, Chief Executive Officer, CIT Transportation Finance, said: “As one of the largest aircraft lessors in the world, we strive to provide our customers with the most fuel efficient, technologically advanced products. The Trent family of engines has proven to be reliable in offering high fuel and operating efficiency, and it remains in high demand among our global customer base.”

Eric Schulz, President – Civil Large Engines, Rolls-Royce, said: “CIT is a valued customer and we are delighted that it has again put its trust in our industry-leading technology. This order underscores the market-leading position of the Trent 700, and reflects our ability to deliver a Trent XWB engine that has already proven itself in test flights to be the most efficient large aero engine flying today.”

The Trent XWB, specifically designed for the Airbus A350, is the fastest selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,200 already sold. The engine variant that will power the A350-800 and -900 was awarded European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in February. The engine will power the first flight of the Airbus A350 XWB this year and the aircraft’s first in-service flight in 2014.

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and more than 1,400 Trent 700 engines are either in service or on order. The engine is the market leader on the Airbus A330 and has won 70 per cent of new orders over the last four years.