Rolls-Royce announces Turkish Airlines will become largest operator of Trent XWB engines as Türkiye’s national airline selects 70 Airbus A350 aircraft

UK. Rolls-Royce announces on December 15 that Turkish Airlines will order 100 Trent XWB-84 engines and 40 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. This will make Turkish Airlines the world’s largest operator of Trent XWB engines.

The Trent XWB-84 powered A350-900s, Trent XWB-97 powered A350-1000s and Trent XWB-97 powered A350F will be delivered between 2025 and 2033. The engines’ health and maintenance will be covered by the Rolls-Royce comprehensive TotalCare service.

Flying to more than 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, Turkish Airlines has grown from a passenger base of 10 million in 2003 to more than 82 million in the last twelve months.

This substantial order will complement the airline’s existing fleet, adding to the 40 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 A350-900s already in service and on order, and 26 Trent 700 powered A330s.

Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO, Rolls-Royce plc, said: “Today’s announcement marks an exciting and truly historic day for Rolls-Royce. It is proof that the actions we are taking to transform Rolls-Royce into a high performing and competitive company underpinned by profitable growth are working.

“The Trent XWB is the perfect engine platform to support Turkish Airlines as it continues to grow. This order will make Turkish Airlines the largest Trent XWB operator in the world, and I would like to thank them for putting their trust in Rolls-Royce.

“Türkiye is a strategically important market for us, and it is imperative to develop long-term partnerships with the airline and other important Turkish stakeholders.

“We look forward to working with Turkish Airlines as they continue to connect their passengers across global communities and cultures.”

Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines, added: “This landmark order is more than an expansion; it’s a testament to our dedication to innovation, operational excellence, and a sustainable future. The addition of these advanced powered Airbus aircraft to our fleet will not only enhance our operational capabilities but also significantly contribute to our environmental goals. With the unparalleled location of our home base located in Istanbul, which straddles continents, we will continue our mission of bridging people from all over the world and these new aircraft will play a crucial role for that goal in our journey towards an even brighter future.”

Kemi Badenoch, UK Business and Trade Secretary, said: “This is a big win for the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector and one that will help secure high-skilled jobs across the country and drive economic growth.

“This deal is just the latest in a long line of wins for UK manufacturing, following Nissan’s £2 billion investment in electric vehicle production in Sunderland and Tata committing £4 billion in a new UK gigafactory.

“These successes show our plan for British manufacturing is working, and our recently released Advanced Manufacturing Plan will ensure the wins keep coming.”

As the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service, the Trent XWB, which is assembled in Derby, UK, will also help fast track Turkish Airlines’ sustainability journey. With a 15 per cent fuel consumption advantage over the first generation of Trent engine, 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 (SAF) blend today and has been proven to be compatible with 100% SAF for the future.

TotalCare is designed to provide operational certainty for customers by transferring time on wing and maintenance cost risk back to Rolls-Royce. This industry-leading premium service offering is supported by data delivered through the Rolls-Royce advanced engine health monitoring system, which helps provide customers with increased operational availability, reliability and efficiency.