Rolls-Royce Engine For RBA’s Dreamliner
By Hadi DP Mahmud

Bandar Seri Begawan - Royal Brunei Airlines has selected the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine to power its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which the flag carrier has ordered as part of its fleet renewal programme.

Rolls-Royce's Civil Aviation unit stated in a media release that the engines will be covered by a long-term "TotalCare" service agreement, which gives lifetime protection for each power plant.

RBA has considered all elements of its fleet replacement plan to ensure that the airline operates the most advanced equipment, said Rozman Junaidi, RBA's vice president of corporate communications.

"There is no doubt that the Trent, 1000 is the best engine for the 787-8 in terms of performance and environmental impact and, therefore, makes a valuable addition to our fleet," he said.

Nick Devall, Rolls-Royce's executive vice president of customer business said in a statement: "The Trent-powered 787 forms part of Royal Brunei's strategic plan to modernise its fleet. It is a conscientious decision that reflects the growing demand from airlines to minimise their environmental footprint."

"Our relationship with Royal Brunei Airlines extends beyond 20 years and we are very proud to welcome them back to the list of Rolls-Royce operators," he added.

Rolls-Royce's statement also said that Brunei's flag carrier will be acquiring four Boeing Dreamliners. When contacted yesterday, the airline stated that it has yet to confirm the number of Dreamliners it will be acquiring.. The delivery is scheduled to begin in late 2009.

The value of RBA's longterm "TotalCare" service agreement with Rolls-Royce was not disclosed.

'We have deliberately not put a value on the TotalCare element of the deal because it will last as long as the airline possesses the Trent engines, therefore it is impossible to quantify," Annalie Brown, the Communications Manager of Rolls-Royce's Civil Aerospace unit, told The Brunei Times.

The agreements are tailored for individual operators and offer a range of services extending to aspects of support such as latest predictive maintenance, asset and logistics management, as well as repair and overhaul.

"It offers the opportunity to remove uncertainties from engine management and provides airlines with greater financial confidence from managing predictable costs," she added. Rolls-Royce takes full responsibility for care of the engine fleet in return for payment by the customer of an agreed dollar rate per flying hour.

RBA has previously operated a number of Rolls-Royce powered aircraft, including Boeing 757s fitted with the RB211-535, and Fokker 100s powered by the Tay engine. The flag carrier currently operates four Airbus A320 family aircraft equipped with the V2500 engine manufactured by the International Aero Engines (IAE) consortium, in which Rolls-Royce is a senior shareholder.

The Trent 1000 has been designed to minimise its impact on the environment, Rolls-Royce said.

Some 19 customers and operators have selected the Trent 1000 for their Dreamliners, including Air Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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