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5 November 2009
Abuja — Virgin Atlantic Airways has announced the selection of Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines to power its new Airbus fleet of 10 A330-300s, the aircraft due for delivery from early 2011.
The orders, worth $720 million, include 10 sets of installed engines and three spare engines, to ensure that the engines remain at peak performance. The contract also includes a long-term maintenance agreement.
Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, commented; "Our Rolls Royce engine order signals our commitment to flying a modern fleet with the most fuel efficient technology available. Now is the right time for leading businesses to be placing orders like this so that companies can protect jobs, grow and thrive in the future."
The Trent 700 is the first engine in the highly successful Trent family. The 72,000lb thrust engine has lower maintenance costs, lower weight and better performance retention.
With the lowest lifecycle fuel burn, lowest cumulative emissions and lowest noise levels the Trent 700 has the lowest environmental impact of any engine on the A330.
Mark King Rolls-Royce President - Civil Aerospace, said: "This order continues a long and successful relationship and we are pleased that Virgin Atlantic is again turning to Trent engine technology. We remain committed to delivering competitive advantage and fuel-efficient power to support their environmental, operational and economic requirements."
Daily Trust recalled that in June 2009 Virgin Atlantic placed a $2.1bn order for 10 new airbus A330-300 aircraft, five of which will arrive in 2011 and five in 2012.
The twin-engine plane, which can seat up to 270 passengers, will operate on many of Virgin Atlantic's existing business and leisure routes worldwide and will assist future growth before the arrival of the Boeing 787 Dream liners in 2013.
The A330 aircraft is nearly 10% more fuel efficient than the A340-300 aircraft as well as delivering lower maintenance costs and substantial cargo capacity.
Each of the A330-300 aircraft will feature the next generation of seats, which will be lighter and even more comfortable than those in the air today.
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