Tag: engines (Page 3 of 12)

Rolls-Royce Completes Sale of Bergen Engines

January 4, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) announces the completion of the sale of our Bergen Engines business to Langley Holdings plc for an enterprise value of €63m. The completion of the transaction, which was announced on 3 August 2021, follows the conclusion of work to separate the business from the Group.

Sale proceeds of €91m from the transaction, together with €16m of cash held within Bergen Engines which has been retained by Rolls-Royce, will be used to help rebuild the Rolls-Royce balance sheet in support of our medium-term ambition to return to an investment grade credit profile. In 2020, Bergen Engines generated revenues of approximately €200m with the assets and liabilities of the business presented as held for sale in the Rolls-Royce Holdings plc consolidated balance sheet.

French Bee Takes Delivery of its First A350-1000

December 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

French bee, the low-cost, long-haul airline (Groupe Dubreuil member) based in France, has taken delivery of its first A350-1000, on lease from Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL), to join its fleet and make the airline an all-A350 fleet operator. The aircraft is the first of two A350-1000s to be operated by the carrier on route from Paris to Saint Denis de La Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

The A350-1000s will complement the four A350-900 aircraft already in the French bee fleet, providing the airline with operational flexibility and eco-efficient solutions for its network. The aircraft features 480 seats in a two-class layout (40 premium class and 440 economy class), providing all the comfort and amenities of Airbus’ Airspace cabin, including state-of-the-art, in-flight passenger entertainment (IFE) and full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin. The A350 cabin is also the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft.

The A350-1000, Airbus’ largest widebody in the twin-engine category, features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, allowing the airline to fly long-haul destinations up to 16,000 km (8,700nm).

Bavaria Orders 8 Five-Bladed Airbus H145 Helicopters for Police Force

December 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Donauwörth, Germany December 2021 – The Ministry of Interior of Bavaria has ordered eight five-bladed Airbus (OTC: EADSY) H145 helicopter’s for its police force, following a European tender launched earlier this year. The aircraft will replace the state’s current H135 fleet and will be operated by the two bases of the Bavarian helicopters squadron at the airport in Munich and in Roth, close to Nuremberg. The first delivery is planned for 2023.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta. This latest upgrade adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew.

In total, there are more than 1,500 H145 family helicopters in service, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

Singapore Airlines Selects the Airbus A350F Freighter

December 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France December 15, 2021 – Singapore Airlines (OTC: SINGY) has signed a Letter of Intent (LoL) with Airbus for seven A350F freighter aircraft. The agreement will see the A350F begin replacing the airline’s existing B747-400F fleet in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Earlier this year Airbus received Board of Directors approval for a freighter derivative of the A350 designed to meet the imminent wave of large freighter replacements and the evolving environmental requirements, shaping the future of airfreight. The A350F will be powered by latest technology, fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines.

The A350F will have a high level of commonality with the A350 passenger versions. With a 109 ton payload capability, the A350F will serve all cargo markets. The aircraft features a large main deck cargo door, with its fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers.

Over 70% of the airframe will be made of advanced materials, resulting in a 30 tonne lighter take-off weight and generating at least 20% lower fuel consumption and emissions over its current closest competitor. The A350F will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards coming into effect in 2027.

Singapore Airlines is the world’s largest operator of the A350, with 56 aircraft currently in service across its network. The agreement with Singapore Airlines is the third commitment received for the new A350F over the past month.

China Airlines Becomes New Operator of Airbus A321neo

November 30, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Taipei, 30 November 2021 – China Airlines (CAL) has become the latest operator of the A321neo, following the delivery of its first aircraft of the type, on lease from Air Lease Corporation (ALC, NYSE: AL).

The aircraft operated with a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF provides a reduction of up to 80% in carbon emissions over its lifecycle, compared to traditional jet fuel.

The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines and seats 180 passengers in a two-class layout. The A321neo incorporates the Airbus Cabin Flex, which enables optimal use of space by relocating various fixtures and fittings, providing the highest levels of passenger comfort.

CAL’s A321neo will be able to fly on routes of up to seven hours from Taipei.

CAL’s A321neos also come with a Cargo Loading System that enables container cargo operations, further reinforcing the airline and Taipei’s position as a global air freight hub.

Altogether CAL will acquire 25 A321neo aircraft, comprising 11 directly ordered from Airbus and 14 under lease agreements. The A321neo will form the core of CAL’s single-aisle fleet and offers cockpit commonality with CAL’s existing A330 and A350 aircraft.

The A321neo is a member of the A320neo Family, which offers the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the latest technologies, including new-generation engines and Sharklets, delivering a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption per seat.

At the end of October 2021, the A320neo Family had won more than 7,500 firm orders from over 120 customers worldwide.

Cebu Pacific Receives its First Airbus A330neo

November 30, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Cebu Pacific has taken delivery of its first A330neo as it begins its widebody fleet modernization program. The aircraft is configured with 459 seats in single-class layout and will be operated by the airline on trunk routes within the Philippines and the rest of Asia, as well as on longer range services to Australia and the Middle East. The A330neo offers versatility for a wide range of routes from shorter regional services to medium and long haul operations.

Altogether Cebu Pacific has ordered 16 A330neo, and also has 16 A320neo and 22 A321neo outstanding to be delivered. The low-cost carrier currently operates 50 Airbus aircraft, comprising 43 A320 Family and 7 A330ceo.

The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new composite wing with increased span for enhanced aerodynamics.

The A330neo brings a step change in efficiency, consuming 25% less fuel than previous generation aircraft and a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. The outstanding efficiency of the A330neo also ensures compliance with current and future sustainability requirements in terms of noise and emissions

With an order book of more than 1,800 aircraft at the end of October 2021, the A330 remains the most popular widebody family aircraft of all time.

Vietjet Selects Rolls-Royce TotalCare to Support Trent 700 Powered A330 Aircraft

November 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Vietnamese airline Vietjet Aviation will operate Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) Trent 700 engine-powered Airbus A330 aircraft in its fleet. As part of the airline’s strategic fleet decision, these will be the first widebody aircraft to join its operations as it expands its network into long-haul operations. The selection is supported by a TotalCare long-term aftermarket engine maintenance agreement. The first aircraft is expected to enter into service in November 2021.

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the A330 and is widely recognised for its outstanding efficiency and reliability. Since its launch in 1995, the Trent 700 has dominated the A330 fleet with more than 60 per cent market share and has logged more than 60 million hours in service to date.

Vietjet, which is Vietnam’s largest airline in terms of the total number of passengers transported domestically and the country’s second largest airline in terms of fleet size, currently has a fleet of 90 narrow-body aircraft. The airline’s ability to stay agile and financially resilient in 2020 has allowed Vietjet to navigate successfully through the market headwinds due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Supporting Vietjet’s business ambitions with the addition of its fleet for long-haul widebody operations, the Trent 700 delivers the best balance of attributes to achieve the maximum capability and efficiency on the A330. With a wide fuselage, well-established technology and sound economics, the airline aims to invest in additional A330 widebody aircraft in the next few years as part of its strategic fleet expansion plan.

Rolls-Royce to Supply MTU Engines for 80-ton Bollard Pull Tugboats in Brazil

November 5, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.L) has secured a significant contract to supply eight of its mtu 16V ₄₀₀₀ M6₅L engines for four 80-ton bollard pull tugboats to be built by Detroit Brasil, Ltda. and operated by Starnav Servicos Maritimos Ltda. The new tugs will feature a hybrid propulsion system, combining the mtu engines and mtu Blue Vision New Generation (BVNG) monitoring system with Z-drive thrusters, hybrid components and controls from Schottel, a manufacturer of propulsion and steering systems for ships and offshore applications.

While Rolls-Royce has supplied mtu Series 4000 engines to Detroit Brasil for several vessel projects in the past, this marks the first time Rolls-Royce will be supplying engines for 80-ton- bollard pull tugboats to the company and the first time that the high performance mtu 16V ₄₀₀₀ M6₅L engines which deliver 2560 kW at 1,800 rpm will be used in Latin America. Once the new tugs are entered into service, Starnav Serviços Marítimos Ltda. will run a total of 96 mtu Series 4000 engines in their fleet of harbor tugs and offshore vessels.

The mtu engines will be delivered in phases, with two delivered in August, two more in October, and two ship-sets consisting of two engines each for delivery in December.

Rolls-Royce Strengthens Position in China with New MTU Engine Test Bench

November 2, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (London: RR.L) business unit Power Systems is strengthening its research and development (R&D) capabilities in China with a new test bench for MTU engines at the company’s location in Suzhou. The new test bench was inaugurated as part of an event celebrating 25 years of the Rolls-Royce location’s existence. The R&D test bench can accommodate MTU engines with a power output of up to 3,600 kW and will be used to test parts, engines and complete systems for power generation and industrial applications.

The new R&D test bench in Suzhou will first be used for test runs of gensets based on MTU 16V 4000 engines, starting in 2022. It is suitable for testing a wide range of versions of the versatile Series 4000 engine which is also celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year. A further upgrade of the test bench is planned for 2022: The capabilities will be extended to testing MTU Series 2000 engines as well.

The company opened its first facility in Suzhou 25 years ago to provide customers in China with faster and more efficient after-sale services in applications such as railway, marine and power generation. Suzhou later became the third production base for MTU engines globally at that time, responsible for the assembly of MTU Series 2000 gendrive engines. Branches in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian were also established gradually. In October 2021, the former MTU Engineering (Suzhou) Co.,Ltd. was renamed Rolls-Royce Solutions (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

With the new test bench, the localization strategy of Rolls-Royce Power Systems in Suzhou is now covering the whole process ranging from sales and services to manufacturing and R&D.

Breeze Airways Unveils First of 80 Airbus A220’s on Order

October 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Mobile, Alabama, USA, October 26, 2021 – Breeze Airways (Breeze) unveiled its first of 80 A220-300 aircraft on order during a preview event at the Airbus A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The aircraft is expected to be delivered to Breeze in the coming weeks.

Breeze’s A220-300 cabin is configured in a comfortable two-class 126 seat premium cabin layout comprising 36 business and 90 economy seats fitted with in-seat power and USB ports for all passengers.

Breeze will offer superior single-aisle comfort on board its brand new A220’s, such as the widest seats, the largest windows and more overhead stowage space per passenger.

The A220’s superior efficiency will support the new airline’s business objectives to deliver a great travel experience to its passengers, with low fares and high flexibility. Breeze is expected to provide non-stop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares – offering point-to-point flights from smaller secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.

Breeze started airline operations in May 2021. This first A220 is expected to enter service in Q2 2022.

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation geared turbofan engines. With a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km), the A220 gives airlines added operational flexibility. The A220 delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous generation aircraft – making the A220 a good neighbour around airports.

As of the end of September 2021, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 12 operators worldwide.

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