Rolls-Royce's Trent XWB engine powers Airbus A350 aircraft.
Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has signed an incremental agreement with Rolls-Royce to undertake repairs for Trent XWB engines powering Airbus A350 aircraft.
Announced at the Paris Air Show on June 19, AFI KLM E&M will join the British engine maker’s CareNetwork. It says it is currently setting up full maintenance capabilities for the engine type from its facilities in Paris, which will eventually offer full overhauls.
Both parties say the partnership will build on an agreement signed in 2014, when AFI KLM E&M’s airline parent Air France-KLM first acquired A350 aircraft. To date, the airline group has ordered 38 A350s, 20 of which have been delivered so far.
“With this agreement, AFI KLM E&M is further expanding its influence in the aftersales market for very large engines and new-generation products, providing support for both the Air France-KLM fleet and, with some products, also operators all around the world,” says Anne Brachet, executive vice president at AFI KLM E&M.
Dominic Horwood, services director at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, adds that AFI KLM E&M has "a long heritage of MRO experience that will enhance our overhaul and repair capabilities for the Trent XWB-84 engine."
AFI KLM E&M, which supports almost 3,000 aircraft operated by 200 major international and domestic airlines, will join several other MRO providers in the aftermarket network for the A350.
Rolls-Royce has been building its Trent XWB aftermarket network since it entered into commercial service at the beginning of 2015. MRO partners are comprised of Rolls-Royce joint ventures (JV) and external MRO providers. The JVs servicing Trent XWB engines include Rolls-Royce’s Germany-based N3 Engine Overhaul Services JV with Lufthansa Technik, Singapore Aero Engine Services with SIA Engineering Co. and Hong Kong-based Aero Engine Services with HAECO.
Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast projects $17.1 billion in MRO spending for the Trent XWB program from 2023-32. During that period, the global fleet of Trent XWB-powered A350s is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% annually.
