Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 XE Targets 787 Comeback

Rolls-Royce announced its Trent XE. The Trent 1000 XE is their new production standard engine powering all future deliveries of the Boeing 787. The market has clearly been waiting for this. Rolls-Royce claims, "At the heart of the Trent 1000 XE is a new Durability Enhancement package focused on increasing engine time on-wing (TOW) whilst also reducing emissions when compared to the Trent 1000 TEN. Take a look at the 787 program orders and deliveries through the end of last year. [caption id="attachment_189076" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Boeing; AirInsight[/caption] The 787 was highly desired from its inception. There were battery issues, quality escapes, and whatnot. But demand remained firm. It took a while from the initial orders to the initial deliveries. As the chart makes plain, demand has exceeded supply throughout the program's life. It is a raging successdespite the hiccups. Which means if you are an engine supplier, you want in on the program. Very badly. One of the program hiccups has been the engines. Specifically, the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. If operators hate the uncertainty of the GTF on a single-aisle, imagine the impact on a 787. Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Problems Premature wear and cracking of intermediate-pressure compressor blades Virgin Atlantic's CEO described a "10-year cycle" of issues with the Trent 1000 engines Virgin Atlantic's 787s require nearly three times more maintenance attention than other aircraft in their fleet Supply chain problems with engine parts and prolonged maintenance periods Airline Impact Air New Zealand suspended Auckland-Seoul flights and switched to GE engines for new 787 orders. Virgin Atlantic postponed route launches to Accra and Tel Aviv, expecting issues to persist through 2025. British Airways, Vietnam Airlines, and ANA have all been forced to reduce schedules. How about GE? GE has also faced issues with its engine. The GEnx had a vulnerability to high-altitude ice crystal icing and fan midshaft fractures. Even with these issues, orders kept coming in, and customers took deliveries as soon as they could. The 787 is just that good. Engine Selection Signals Engine selection with orders gives us a key signal. [caption id="attachment_189077" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Boeing; AirInsight[/caption] Rolls-Royce got the first orders, but GE quickly took the lead. The latest score is GE at 1,531 and Rolls-Royce at 550. GE has a near 3-to-1 advantage. That's a steep climb for Rolls-Royce. As mentioned above, several longtime Rolls-Royce customers moved over to GE. But look at the signal from 2023 onwards. The NS (not selected) number has rocketed ahead. As noted by The Air Current, United's latest 787 orders have no engine selected. Is this a big signal? You bet! Check out this chart. This lists United's 787 orders. The most recent order is in 2026, so it does not show here. [caption id="attachment_189078" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Boeing; AirInsight[/caption] The next chart shows you just how loyal United is to GE and CFM (GE's partner). That small orange slice? Rolls-Royce for nine airplanes. From 2000 to 2025. [caption id="attachment_189079" align="aligncenter" width="402"] Boeing; AirInsight[/caption] So, for several 787 customers, especially United, to signal that they are open to an engine selection is excellent news for Rolls-Royce as it plots a comeback. Will Rolls-Royce win most of the open engine deals? Probably not, because GE has the production capacity and pricing power it provides. Operators are clearly looking for a deal on their next 787 engine selection and are holding off as the engine OEMs bid for the contract. Rolls-Royce is busy with an aggressive campaign. It is upgrading all Trent 1000 TEN engines to the Trent 1000 XE. The race is on.

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