Turkish Airlines to Become Largest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Engine Operator, Powering 70 Airbus A350s

Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Türkiye, will become the world’s largest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine operator, with the carrier’s recent order for 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft.

On Friday (December 15, 2023), Rolls-Royce announced that Turkish Airlines will become the world’s largest Trent XWB engine operator.  The announcement follows the carrier’s recent order for 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft, including A350-900s, A350-1000s and A350F freighters. The A350-900s will be powered by Trent XWB-84 engines, while the A350-1000s and A350Fs will be powered by Trent XWB-97 engines.  Additionally, the fleet of 140 engines will be covered by the Rolls-Royce comprehensive TotalCare service. 

In Friday’s announcement, Rolls-Royce plc’s CEO, Tufan Erginbilgic, 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.”

Also commenting on the substantial engine order, Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, Ahmet Bolat, added,

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 new order complements Turkish Airlines’ existing Rolls-Royce engine fleet with 40 Trent XWB-84 powered A350-900s in service or on order, and 26 Trent 700 powered Airbus A330s. 

The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB is the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service and is assembled in Derby, UK.  The engine delivers a 15 percent fuel advantage over the first generation Trent engine and is also certified to run on 50 percent SAF today.  Tests have also shown that the Trent XWB will also be compatible with 100 percent SAF in the future.

Source: Rolls-Royce