Aircelle and Rolls-Royce Sign Long-Term Trent 900 Nacelle Services Agreement for British Airways' A380 Fleet

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Rolls-Royce and Aircelle (Safran group) today signed a comprehensive services offering for Trent 900 engine nacelles on British Airways' A380s, marking a long-term global care package commitment by these two original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on a key component of the Airbus flagship jetliner.

This contract - signed at the Farnborough Airshow - involves a 25-year coverage period beginning in 2013, during which Aircelle will provide complete support on the nacelles it produces and supplies for the Rolls-Royce Trent 900s that power British Airways' fleet of 12 A380s.

"Aircelle is committing its resources to the relationship with Rolls-Royce, and the resulting global care coverage that supports British Airways will demonstrate the value we both can offer through our collaboration," explained Vincent Mascré, the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Aircelle.

Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce's President - Large Engine Programs, said: "Airlines increasingly are seeking TotalCare® packages from the OEMs, and our new contract with Aircelle is a major element in Rolls-Royce's aircraft engine maintenance management program for A380 operators."

As part of the agreement for British Airways, Aircelle will ensure the availability of key Trent 900 nacelle components - including thrust reverser, fan cowls, air inlet and exhaust system -  which are to be located at the airline's London Heathrow Airport technical base, enabling optimized aircraft dispatch and operation through a quick engine change (QEC) capability.  

Aircelle also will position more than 130 line-replaceable unit part types at the airline's technical base, and is to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul coverage for the nacelle hardware.  In addition, the Aircelle is to create a Field Service Office (FSO) at Rolls-Royce's Hatton Cross/London Heathrow Airport facility, offering around-the-clock on-site support.

Rolls-Royce's Trent 900 is a 70,000-80,000-lb. thrust turbofan engine that delivers high performance, low fuel consumption and environmentally-friendly operation on the A380.  Aircelle is the sole systems manufacturer and integrator for engine nacelles on the A380, providing a state-of-the art system that includes the first use of an electrical thrust reverser actuation system (ETRAS) on commercial jetliners.

About Aircelle (http://www.aircelle.com)

Aircelle is one of the leading players in the worldwide nacelle market for aircraft engines. A subsidiary of the Safran group, it employs nearly 3,000 people on seven sites in France, the United Kingdom and Morocco. Aircelle is the only nacelle manufacturer in the world present on all the market segments, from regional and business aircraft to the largest airliners, including the Airbus A380. Aircelle also is developing the worldwide customer support and service activity for nacelles and their components.