Rolls-Royce secures major engines deal with Indian airline

Rolls-Royce is celebrating after securing an order from an Indian airline for 60 of its Trent XWB-84 engines.

The deal with IndiGo, also includes a TotalCare agreement, which will see the engineering giant, which has its civil aerospace division in Derby, look after the engines while in service.

Flying to more than 110 domestic and international destinations, IndiGo flew 100 million passengers in 2023 and is among the fastest growing airlines in the world.

The new order will power the airline’s expansion plans, particularly its growing footprint on international routes.

As the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service, the technologically advanced Trent XWB, which is assembled in Derby, is well-positioned to help fast track IndiGo’s sustainability journey.

With a 15% fuel consumption advantage over the first generation of Trent engines, the Trent XWB goes further on less fuel and offers leading performance and noise levels.

It is also certified to operate on a 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel blend today and has been proven to be compatible with 100% SAF for the future.

Ewen McDonald, chief customer officer at Rolls-Royce, said: “This substantial order from IndiGo for our Trent XWB-84 engines is a great win for Rolls-Royce.

“It re-affirms the position of the Trent XWB as the future-ready, engine of choice among airline operators.

“India is an important market for Rolls-Royce. The future promises to be exciting, with significant infrastructure developments and further growth expected in air travel.

“We are grateful to IndiGo for placing their trust in us and we look forward to partnering with them on this journey.

“Together we will reach more destinations, serve more customers and capture the opportunities of this exciting market.”

Pieter Elbers, chief executive of IndiGo, said: “We are delighted to partner with Rolls-Royce for their future-ready Trent XWB engines as we expand our widebody aircraft fleet with an agreement to order a new fleet of A350-900 aircraft.

“We have immense trust in the reliability and efficiency offered by Rolls-Royce’s Trent engines, and we believe it will reinforce our vision to connect the length and breadth of India to the world.”