Rolls-Royce announces Turkish Airlines will become largest operator of Trent XWB engines as Türkiye’s national airline selects 70 Airbus A350 aircraft
Rolls-Royce announced Turkish Airlines’ purchase of the A350-900s, A350-1000s, and A350F powered by Trent XWB-84, XWB-97, and Trent XWB-97 which are scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2033. The extensive Rolls-Royce TotalCare service will take care of upkeep and health of the engines.
Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO, Rolls-Royce plc, said, “Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working. The Trent XWB is the perfect engine platform to support Turkish Airlines as it continues to grow. This order will make Turkish Airlines the largest Trent XWB operator in the world, and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce. Türkiye is a strategically important market for us, and it is imperative to develop long-term partnerships with the airline and other important Turkish stakeholders. We look forward to working with Turkish Airlines as they continue to connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”
Turkish Airlines serves over 340 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Its passenger count increased from 10 million in 2003 to over 82 million in the past year. This large order will supplement the airline’s current fleet, which already consists of 26 Trent 700-powered A330s and 40 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 A350-900s that are both in service and on order.
Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines, said, “This landmark order is more than an expansion; it’s a testament to our dedication to innovation, operational excellence, and a sustainable future. The addition of these advanced powered Airbus aircraft to our fleet will not only enhance our operational capabilities but also significantly contribute to our environmental goals. With the unparalleled location of our home base located in Istanbul, which straddles continents, we will continue our mission of bridging people from all over the world and these new aircraft will play a crucial role for that goal in our journey towards an even brighter future.”
The Trent XWB, built in Derby, UK, is the most efficient large aero engine currently in use. It will also expedite Turkish Airlines’ transition to a sustainable fleet. The Trent XWB engine uses 15% less fuel than the previous generation, allowing it to achieve superior performance and noise levels while using less fuel. It has also been demonstrated to be compatible with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the future and is certified to run on a 50% SAF blend at this time.
Kemi Badenoch, UK Business and Trade Secretary, said, “This is a big win for the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector and one that will help secure high-skilled jobs across the country and drive economic growth. This deal is just the latest in a long line of wins for UK manufacturing, following Nissan’s £2 billion investment in electric vehicle production in Sunderland and Tata committing £4 billion in a new UK gigafactory. These successes show our plan for British manufacturing is working, and our recently released Advanced Manufacturing Plan will ensure the wins keep coming.”
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The purpose of TotalCare is to give customers operational certainty by returning the risk of maintenance costs and time spent on the wing to Rolls-Royce. Data from the Rolls-Royce advanced engine health monitoring system, which helps give customers greater operational availability, reliability, and efficiency, is used to support this industry-leading premium service offering.
