Rolls-Royce wins Singapore A3XX order

Singpore Airlines is due to be the first carrier to fly the A3XX

The UK's Rolls-Royce has won an order from Singapore Airlines worth up to $1.5bn to supply engines for the carrier's A3XX super-jumbo planes.

The order is to supply more than 100 installed and spare Trent 900 engines, Rolls-Royce said.

Singapore Airlines said it had decided Rolls-Royce "had the edge" over a rival US bid from GE/Pratt & Witney Alliance.

The airline has ordered 10 A3XXs from European consortium Airbus Industrie and has options on a further 15 under a $8.6bn deal finalised in September.

Additional cost

The Airbus order included the cost of installed engines and spares but not spare engines, Singapore Airlines said.

The Trent 900 spare engines would add another $245m to the total cost, it said.

The airline - expected to be the first carrier to fly the largest passenger aircraft ever built - is due to take delivery of the planes over a five-year period from 2006.

The Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine

A larger version of the Trent 800

Fan diameter of 116 inches

Initially rated at 70,000 pounds of thrust

Flight testing will begin in 2004

They will serve Singapore Airlines' high-density routes to London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Rolls-Royce said its estimate of the value of its contract was based on catalogue prices and included engines for optioned aircraft and spare engines.

It already supplies its Trent 800 engines to Singapore Airlines' fleet of 18 Boeing 777 aircraft and is in line to power a further 43 the airline has on firm order or option.

Singapore Airlines' total fleet comprises 92 aircraft: 44 Boeing 747-400s, 18 Boeing 777s, 15 Airbus A340-300s and 15 Airbus A310-300s.