Rolls-Royce today welcomed a decision by STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan to select 17 Airbus A350 aircraft, which are powered by the Trent XWB. The decision, covering 12 A350-1000s and five A350-900s, was announced at the Farnborough Airshow.
STARLUX Airlines is a new, full-service airline based in Taipei and founded by Taiwanese aviation veteran Chang Kuo-wei, former Chairman of EVA Air. The carrier will develop a network spanning destinations across Asia and long-haul services to North America. The carrier will launch regional operations in early 2020, followed by long-haul services early in 2022.
The Trent XWB is the world’s most efficient large aero engine and, with more than 1,700 in service or on order across 46 operators, it is also the world’s fastest-selling widebody engine ever. It has delivered the smoothest entry into service of any widebody engine, with a despatch reliability of 99.9% across two million hours of flying.
Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, Chief Customer Officer – Civil Aerospace, said: “It is a real pleasure to welcome STARLUX Airlines to our growing family of engine operators. They are an airline with clear ambition and we look forward to a smooth entry into service, marking the start of what we hope will become a long and successful relationship.”