Rolls wins $720m engine order from Virgin

The Trent 700 (pictured), the only engine specifically designed for the aircraft, has won more than 70 per cent of new orders over the last three years said the Derby based manufacturer. Trent 700 engines will power six A330s ordered by Virgin Atlantic and four provided by aircraft leasing company AerCap, increasing the total number of AerCap Rolls-Royce powered A330 aircraft to 23. Deliveries will start in 2011. Virgin Atlantic first ordered Rolls-Royce engines in 1997 with the Trent 500 making its entry into service with Virgin in 2002, powering an Airbus A340; the Trent 900 will power its Airbus A380 aircraft; and the Trent 1000 will power up to 43 of the airline's Boeing 787s. Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway said: "Our engine selection was based on both cost and environmental benefits, and the Trent 700 was our choice on both grounds. Our engine order also signals our commitment to flying a modern fleet with the most fuel efficient technology available. Now is the right time for leading businesses to be placing orders like this so that companies, vital to the British economy, can protect jobs, grow and thrive in the future." The Virgin Atlantic A330 aircraft will feature an enhanced performance version of the Trent 700, which improves engine fuel burn by a further 1.3 per cent.