UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that its Trent XWB-84 engine, developed specifically for the Airbus A350-900 airliner (and the only engine to power that aircraft), had reached ten-million flying hours. The A350-900 is a member of Airbus’ next generation A350 XWB family (the other member being the longer-fuselage A350-1000).

The A350 XWB airframe is 54% composed of composites and 70% of advanced materials (including the composites). The A350-900/Trent XWB-84 combination entered service in 2015 and is now operated by more than 30 airlines.

“Reaching ten-million flying hours is another great achievement for the Trent XWB,” highlighted Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace president Chris Cholerton. “It is the latest in the Trent family to reach this milestone and has done so faster than any other Trent engine, in just over seven years of operation. We are incredibly proud of the Trent XWB as it continues to set new benchmarks on sustainability, reliability and versatility.”

The Trent XWB-84 has achieved a ‘dispatch reliability’ of more than 99.9%. It is currently the most efficient aeroengine in service and is 15% more fuel efficient than the first model of the Trent engine family.

Because of its greater efficiency, even running on conventional jet fuel, the Trent XWB-84 produces fewer carbon emissions than earlier members of its engine family, let alone previous generation power plants. Since 2015, use of the Trent XWB-84 has reduced airline carbon dioxide emissions by more than 15-million tons. The engine is already ready to run on a 50% sustainable aviation fuel/conventional jet fuel blend.

Developed to power widebody airliners, the Trent engine family entered service in February 1995, on the Airbus A330. Today the family has seven members – the Trent 500, the Trent 700, the Trent 800, the Trent 900, the Trent 1000, the Trent XWB and the Trent 7000. In addition to the A350 XWB family, different models of Trent power Airbus’ A330, A330neo and A380, as well as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family.