Aircraft

Kuwaiti lessor Aviation Lease and Finance Company (ALAFCO) has confirmed that Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines will power the new fleet of 12 Airbus A350 XWB twinjets that it officially ordered this week at the Paris air show.

The contract is worth $480 million at engine list prices, says Rolls-Royce in a statement.

Rolls-Royce is currently the sole engine supplier for the A350 XWB. General Electric (GE) was originally to supply powerplants to the program, but last year the A350 underwent an extensive redesign and GE has been reluctant to provide an engine option for the A350-1000, the largest member.

“I look forward to building a new and mutually-rewarding business relationship with ALAFCO, one of the fastest-growing leasing companies in the Middle East. It increases our footprint and opens up new opportunities for us through lease operations,” says Rolls-Royce civil aerospace president Mike Terrett.