Tim, Bold Inquiry on A350 Engine: Rolls-Royce Assures Guaranteed Engine Performance

Airbus SE’s hopes of securing a sizable order at the Dubai Air Show were stopped by Emirates President Tim Clark, who declared that he would not purchase any more of the company’s flagship A350-1000 until engine performance issues were resolved.

Emirates Seeks Assurance on A350 Engine Performance

Clark told reporters during a press conference at the Dubai Air Show, “If they can do that at a maintenance cost per hour, that’s alright for us,” Emirates would order the aircraft.

In regions like the Middle East and India that are hot, dusty, and sandy, engines have unique difficulties. Monday’s opening of the week-long Dubai Airshow was dominated by Emirates’s order for ninety additional Boeing 777X aircraft powered by GE.

Earlier, the Qatar CEO expressed concerns about the poor paint peeling on the A350, raising airworthiness risks. Airbus subsequently addressed and resolved the issue. Now, the Emirates Chief is questioning the engine’s ability to withstand extreme heat, anticipating increased maintenance and downtime challenges.

R-R’s unique supplier engines ensure 2500 cycles

Rolls-Royce has responded, assuring the performance of the Trent XWB-97 engine with the following statement.

“The engine excels in benign operations but faces challenges in sandy, hot conditions, like many modern engines. Rolls-Royce is actively enhancing durability. Emirates considers ordering up to 50 A350-1000 only if R-R’s unique supplier engines ensure 2500 cycles on the wing before maintenance, a significant leap from the current Trent XWB-97 performance.”

Only Rolls Royce Holdings Plc is responsible for building the aircraft, and Clark claimed that until the next maintenance cycle, the engine on the aircraft does not meet the requirements of so-called time on the wing. According to Clark, Emirates is considering purchasing 35 to 50 A350s, which would supplement their current order of 50 A350s of the smaller -900 widebody model.

According to industry sources, Airbus saw a second significant order from Turkish Airlines slip off the show’s agenda when plans for an Emirates A350 order were put on hold for the time being.