The first member of Rolls-Royce’s Trent family to enter service, the Trent 700, has reached a significant milestone, completing its 50 millionth flying hour.

This is the equivalent to flying around the world more than one million times.

The engine crossed the 50-million hour threshold as around 380 Trent-700-powered Airbus A330 aircraft were in flight around the world.

A Rolls-Royce team watched the clock tick over, drawing on data delivered by Rolls-Royce’s Airline Aircraft Availability Centre in Derby, UK.

The Trent 700 is set to power the first flight of the Beluga XL, Airbus’ next-generation super transporter aircraft, later this year.

Trent 7000: Coming soon

This milestone comes as Rolls-Royce uses the experience gained from developing and operating the engine to prepare for the entry into service of the Trent 7000, the exclusive powerplant for the A330neo, later this year.

The Trent 7000, the seventh member of the Trent family, brings together experience from the Trent 700, architecture from the Trent 1000 TEN – the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine – and the latest technology from the Trent XWB.

Rolls-Royce says the 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000 will improve specific fuel consumption by ten per cent and significantly reduce noise.

Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, Director, Customers and Services – Civil Aerospace, said: “The Trent 700 is an iconic engine. As the first of the Trent engines it set an extraordinary precedent that helped redefine Rolls-Royce’s role in the civil aerospace sector and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone.

“As we prepare for the entry into service of its successor, the Trent 7000, this is also a great reminder of the strong foundations on which that engine has been built.”

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