Translation note: This article was translated with the assistance of AI.
Four days after announcing a major aircraft order with Airbus and Boeing, aircraft leasing company Avolon has confirmed an engine order as well. The Ireland-based company is purchasing 70 Trent 7000 engines from Rolls-Royce to power 35 Airbus A330-900 aircraft included in its latest fleet expansion plans.
Rolls-Royce is the sole engine supplier for the A330neo, with the Trent 7000 as the aircraft’s only available engine option. The 70 engines will equip all 35 twin-engine aircraft.
Avolon Orders 250 Aircraft from Airbus and Boeing
On October 9, Avolon announced the purchase of 250 new commercial aircraft. The largest share consists of 140 Boeing 737 MAX jets, alongside 75 aircraft from the Airbus A320neo family and 35 A330-900s. Avolon also secured options for another 100 Airbus aircraft.
The deal adds substantially to the lessor’s order backlog. Its total orders for the Airbus A330-900 now stand at 114 aircraft, making Avolon the largest leasing customer for this model, according to Airbus. Across all aircraft types, the company’s firm backlog of aircraft awaiting delivery has grown to 749.
The transactions still require formal approval from the shareholders of Bohai Leasing, which owns a 70 percent stake in Avolon. The company expects to receive that approval by the end of October.
Trent 7000: Technology Derived from the Trent XWB
For the A330neo’s propulsion system, Rolls-Royce draws on technologies also used in the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350. The Trent 7000 features a three-shaft architecture, allowing its high-, intermediate-, and low-pressure systems to operate at different rotational speeds.
Its technical features include blisks in the compressor, which integrate rotor blades and disks into a single component. The fan is equipped with hollow titanium blades.
According to Rolls-Royce, the A330neo powered by Trent 7000 engines delivers approximately 14 percent lower fuel consumption per seat compared with the previous A330 generation. This figure reflects improvements to both the aircraft and its engines.
Since entering service, the global Trent 7000 fleet has accumulated more than five million flight hours, according to the manufacturer. The engine is also approved to operate on blends containing up to 50 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Images: Airbus, Rolls-Royce