30 years of excellence in South East Asia

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30 years of excellence in South East Asia


This year sees the 30th anniversary of our iconic family of Trent engines – the most successful aerospace engine family in history. Overall, it has accumulated over 200 million engine flying hours and transported 3.5 billion people across the globe, spanning everything from family holidays to humanitarian missions and defence-related missions. The evolution of Trent shows Rolls-Royce at its very best: utilising its proud engineering heritage to push the boundaries of innovation and revolutionise the way people connect.

Within South East Asia, we have seen how Trent has strengthened our customer relationships and changed the way we fly. As an example, in 1995 Singapore Airlines placed the largest order in the company’s history at that time for the supply of Trent 800 engines to power its fleet of Boeing 777. The Trent 800 was our second-generation engine, built on the solid foundation of the Trent 700 prototype, and set new standards of excellence, reliability and performance.

Today, nearly 80 per cent of Singapore Airline’s widebody fleet is powered by Rolls-Royce engines, while Singapore Airlines is one of the largest customers for our Trent XWB engines, applied to the A350 aircraft. The XWB is the world’s most efficient engine which delivers 25% lower fuel burn and reflects how high performance can contribute to a sustainable and profitable future.

This has coincided with an extraordinary rise in demand for air travel in the region. According to estimates by Boeing, South East Asia’s passenger air traffic will grow at an annual rate of 7.2% through to 2043, significantly outpacing the global average of 4.7%1. Airlines in South East Asia are predicted to expand their share of the Asia-Pacific fleet from 17% to 25% in the same timeline, while demands around sustainable aviation and the development of technologies such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) continues to grow.

As we look at the evolution of the Trent story against this backdrop, it is worth considering how our region can support its rightful status as most successful aerospace engine family in history.

Fan Blade Singapore

Fan Blade Singapore

The ‘jewel in the crown’ is our production of fan blades at our Seletar Campus, located in Singapore. Fan Blade Singapore (FBSG) is Rolls-Royce’s lead manufacturing facility for the hollow titanium Wide Chord Fan Blade, that is applied to 95% of our Trent engines globally. Our skilled engineers produce these products for the full suite of Trent engines and, as of 2022, is able to produce 4,800 fan blades per year

These fan blades are critical for the Trent’s performance and safety, including thrust generation, engine efficiency and noise reduction. We never stop looking for new ways to improve processes, adopt new technologies and support the industry’s most talented individuals. This includes a much greater integration of digitalised capabilities, including protection of employee safety and an increase of ‘right-first-time’ rates, alongside development of new technologies such as automation, advanced repair and smart manufacturing methods.

In many ways, the story of FBSG is a reflection of the evolution of the Trent engine: pushing the boundaries of innovation, meeting rising demands, prioritising safety and driving ever-improving performance.

Oliver Chamberlain, Head of FBSG

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Fan Blade Singapore shows Rolls-Royce at its very best, exemplifying how our love of engineering and innovation can create new solutions for evolving demands. I am deeply proud of our role in the Trent story and look forward to all we can achieve together.”

Driving success through regional partnerships

The success of the Trent engine is also possible only through the partnerships we have cultivated over many decades in Singapore and South East Asia. This firstly relates to maintaining the high performance of the Trent engine, supported through Singapore Aero Engine Private Limited (SAESL), a joint venture company between Rolls-Royce and SIA Engineering Company in Singapore. Since starting operations in 2001, SAESL has become a market leader in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) engine services which it can provide to the full Trent family.

As a Trent Centre of Excellence, the Engine Overhaul business has the capacity to repair and overhaul over 300 Trent engines per year. Following the opening of its state-of-the-art new facility in January 2025, this capacity will grow by 40% to over 400 engines serviced annually by 2028, alongside the integration of new repair capabilities and enhanced productivity.

We also have our Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab, which we operate in collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and SAESL. Aided by an investment of S$68 million from 2017-2023, this joint research develops next generation aerospace manufacturing and MRO capabilities including advanced cell repair, additive manufacturing and new forms of automation and digitalisation.

With Singapore as our hub, this partnership approach is apparent right across our South East Asia operations. In Malaysia, we have a 25+5 year agreement in place with UMW Aerospace to manufacture and assemble fan cases for Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and Trent 7000 aero engines, enhancing performance in the latest-generation Trent products. We have TotalCare agreements with major airlines such as Philippine Airlines and Vietjet for Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB-97 and 700 engines respectively, which bolsters operational efficiency and increases time on wing.

The story of Trent in South East Asia has been one of close relationships cultivated over many decades, which has allowed our customers to realise the full power of Trent and us to find new innovations that can enhance performance.

Matching technological progress with next-generation talent

Our technology is only as good as the talent which develops it. We would not have made the progress we did over the last 30 years without our truly exceptional colleagues and bringing in fresh perspectives right across South East Asia.

This includes implementing a ‘People First’ approach to our operations, supporting our colleagues with upskilling and knowledge-sharing that can allow them to thrive. Our Regional Training Centre (RTC) at our Seletar Campus is part of our global network of Rolls-Royce Training Centres, offering regional customers and employees access to world class facilities and qualifications. It is essential we keep our colleagues motivated, empowered and inspired to uncover the technologies necessary for our Trent engine journey.

Going forward, our commitment to talent centres on cultivating the next generation of innovators, including those who have been under-represented and faced historic barriers in pursuing STEM careers. One main avenue through which we have been growing our presence in talent cultivation is the Science Film Festival (SFF) -- set up in partnership with Goethe Institut – the largest festival of its kind worldwide. With the tagline ‘Knowledge Through Entertainment’, this makes science accessible, fun and inspiring for youths across the region – the same individuals who are essential for continued improvements not just for Rolls-Royce but the whole aviation sector. Through our SFF partnership, we are proud to have reached over 850,000 young and bright minds and look forward to continuing this progress.

Continuing Trent’s legacy of innovation

As we celebrate 30 years of Trent, we continue to have great ambitions for the future, at a time when uncertainty is increasing and demands are rising at a regional and global level. Our stakeholders expect excellent performance that is sustainable, innovative, operationally reliable and with the highest standards of safety. Against this backdrop, we are aiming to achieve an 80% Time on Wing (ToW) improvement for all widebody engines by the end of 2027, alongside reaching net zero operations, facilities and product tests globally by 2050. This includes eliminating greenhouse gas emissions at our Seletar Campus by 2030.

We are already seeing remarkable new technologies in the Trent story, not least our UltraFan engine that will become the sustainable solution for decades to come, and for which South East Asia will be an integral role.

The story of Trent has only just begun. We remain proud in South East Asia to play our part and look forward to continued success together.

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