LATAM is returning to Rolls-Royce after prior Trent durability issues led it to order GEnx turbofans for some newer 787s.
LATAM Airlines is giving Rolls-Royce another shot, ordering the UK engine maker’s updated Trent 1000 XE turbofans to power three incoming Boeing 787s.
Disclosed by R-R on 29 April, the order comes after the Chilean airline in recent years suffered repeated durability problems with earlier-generation Trent 1000s powering its 787s.
Those problems left some jets grounded and led LATAM to order competing GE Aerospace GEnx turbofans for later 787s.
But the Trent 1000 XE, revealed last year, is R-R’s answer to the maintenance issues. The company made several changes under a “two-phase durability enhancement programme” it says more than doubles the turbofan’s time between scheduled maintenance.
“This order demonstrates growing market confidence in the Trent 1000 XE and reflects the benefits that our ongoing transformation is delivering,” R-R says of LATAM’s commitment. “Our significant investments to improve time-on-wing and expand our MRO network mean we are giving customers like LATAM Airlines a truly competitive engine choice that can help them achieve their growth ambitions.”
R-R does not say when the 787s will be delivered to LATAM. Neither the engine maker nor airline immediately respond to requests for comment.
LATAM holds unfilled orders for 16 787s, including 11 powered by Genx turbofans, according to fleet-date provider Cirium. That company’s latest information lists LATAM’s engine choice for the other five aircraft as “unannounced”.
LATAM Airlines and sister carrier LATAM Airlines Brazil already operate a combined 39 787s, of which 37 have Trents and two have Genx turbofans, Cirium shows.
In 2018, LATAM Airlines Group then-chief executive Enrique Cueto said problems with Trent 1000s had required it at one point ground 14 787s.
The original Trent 1000’s durability shortcomings resulted largely from premature degradation of certain parts, particularly high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades.
The Trent 1000 XE’s key upgrades include new “longer life” HPT blades and a cooling system that delivers 40% more “cooling flow”. The XE also has an updated combustion system, fuel spray nozzles and engine electronic controller software.
This year R-R said it received certification for a “phase two” set of Trent XE durability improvements that includes lighter HPT blade shrouds, tweaked high-pressure nozzle guide vanes and improved coatings within the combuster.
The post LATAM orders Trent 1000 XEs to power three 787s despite prior reliability problems first appeared on FlightGlobal.