Rolls-Royce to power Gulf Air in $1.5BN order

Monday, 15 June 2009

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, will power new Gulf Air aircraft in an order worth US$1.5bn at list prices.

Trent 700EP (Enhanced Performance) engines will power 20 Airbus A330 aircraft, with deliveries beginning in 2012. The contract includes a TotalCare® long-term service agreement. In addition, Gulf Air also renewed TotalCare® on Trent 700s that power 10 A330s already in service.

The Trent 700EP has the best performance, lowest emissions and lowest fuel burn on the A330. Rolls-Royce has secured more than 70 per cent of the A330 market over the last three years and eight of the nine Middle East A330 operators have selected Trent 700 engines to power their fleets.

The contract was signed at the Paris Air Show by Gulf Air Chairman Talal Al Zain and Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Sir John Rose.

Ismail Karimi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Air, said: “As Gulf Air progresses with its ambitious re-fleeting and product enhancement strategy, we need an engine to power our future A330s. After exploring a number of options, we have selected the Trent 700 as the one best suited to meet our future needs. The Rolls-Royce engine offers the best deal for Gulf Air technically, operationally, commercially and environmentally.

“Our new aircraft will offer improved customer service in terms of comfort and reliability and will also continue our drive to keep operating costs to a minimum. We have had excellent experience with our existing Trent 700EPs, both in terms of operational performance and the comprehensive TotalCare® service package, which were important factors in our decision making on the new purchases and service renewal.”

Phil Harris, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President Airlines – North Asia and Middle East, said: “We are delighted that Gulf Air has selected our Trent 700 technology and TotalCare® package to power its new aircraft. Rolls-Royce technology will enable the customer to achieve excellent technical performance and world-class service support.”

Rolls-Royce has a leading 50 per cent market share on modern, widebody aircraft, with more than 1,500 Trent engines in service on more than 550 aircraft and a further 2,500 on order. Each of the six members of the Trent family have either been the first or launch engine on the airframe, or have gone on to take the leading market share.

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 of these sectors, Rolls-Royce offers value-added long-term service agreements for customers and operators.
In 2008, Rolls-Royce and its partners invested £885 million on research and development, two thirds of which has the objective of further improving the environmental aspects of its products, in particular the reduction of noise and emissions.
Annual sales were £9.1 billion in 2008, of which 52 per cent came from services revenues. The firm and announced order book at the end of 2008 stood at £55.5 billion, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
The Trent 700 is the only engine on the A330 that has been specifically designed for the aircraft, resulting in better lifetime performance, reliability and maintenance costs. It has accumulated more than 10 million hours of operating service. The Trent 700EP further reduces engine fuel burn by a further 1.3 per cent.
TotalCare®, tailored for individual operators, offers a range of services from Rolls-Royce covering all aspects of asset management in support of its Civil Aerospace products. Building on the company’s knowledge, experience and infrastructure, these services include elements such as predictive maintenance, logistics management, and global repair and overhaul offerings. TotalCare® can remove uncertainties from engine management and improve operational reliability for operators through a mutually aligned business relationship.
Gulf Air launched its services in 1950 as Gulf Aviation Company. Today it is a major airline servicing 40 destinations worldwide.
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 its sectors – civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. Rolls-Royce has a number of agreements with companies based in the UAE, including Abu Dhabi Ship Building, Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies and Al Taif, and is involved in the philanthropic work of the Emirates Foundation. Rolls-Royce has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to work together to assess Abu Dhabi’s industrial capabilities to support a potential civil nuclear power programme.

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