Rolls-Royce welcomes Taiwanese airline as new customer

Rolls-Royce has welcomed a Taiwanese airline as a new customer for its aero engines.

The engineering giant, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, has signed a Letter of Intent for a TotalCare maintenance agreement with Taiwanese airline EVA Air for 36 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines that will power 18 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.

The agreement provides the airline with predictability as well as a known cost for the services and maintenance of the fleet.

This will be the first time EVA Air includes the Rolls-Royce Trent engine in its fleet.

Ewen McDonald, chief customer officer (civil aerospace) at Rolls-Royce, said: “We warmly welcome EVA Air as a new Rolls-Royce customer, and we are delighted to sign this Letter of Intent for a TotalCare maintenance agreement for their Trent XWB-97 engines.

“This announcement will support their journey to modernise their fleet for better efficiency, reliability and customer experience.

“We look forward to building our relationship with EVA Air and to providing operational excellence with our world-class Trent XWB-97 engine and TotalCare service.”

Clay Sun, president of EVA Air, said: “We are delighted to announce the order of 18 Trent XWB-97 powered A350-1000s to support our future long-haul requirements.

“We believe the proven efficiency and reliability of Trent XWB-97 will make the engine a perfect choice for EVA Air to grow in the long-range market.

“The engine also brings significant reductions in carbon emissions, which is in line with our company’s sustainability goals.

“We will work closely with Rolls-Royce to make sure the aircraft deliver the best flying experience for our customers.”