Rolls-Royce has secured a significant new TotalCare service agreement with Taiwan-based China Airlines. The long-term maintenance deal covers a total of 36 Trent XWB engines, which will power the carrier’s incoming fleet of 18 Airbus A350 aircraft.
The agreement includes 30 Trent XWB-97 engines for 15 new A350-1000 aircraft, an order recently announced by Airbus, plus six Trent XWB-84 engines for three additional A350-900s. This expansion will see China Airlines’ total A350 fleet grow from its current 15 aircraft to 33, all powered exclusively by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer for Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, commented on the strengthened partnership: “We’re delighted to deepen our collaboration with China Airlines through this TotalCare agreement. The Trent XWB family delivers the exceptional fuel efficiency, reliability, and durability that modern airlines require. The -97 variant, in particular, is the world’s most utilised aircraft engine, making it an ideal platform for route expansion.”
McDonald added, “We thank China Airlines for their continued trust. With our ongoing product enhancements and comprehensive service support, we look forward to powering their growth and enabling new route opportunities with confidence.”
The Trent XWB-97, which entered service seven years ago, has now accumulated over four million engine flying hours. It is undergoing a three-phase durability improvement programme. The first two phases have already been implemented, achieving a 60% increase in ‘time on wing’—the period an engine operates between major shop visits. The third and final phase, scheduled for service entry in 2028, is projected to double time on wing in challenging environments and improve it by 50% in standard conditions.
The TotalCare service is Rolls-Royce’s premium, by-the-hour offering, designed to provide operators with maximum operational certainty. It transfers the primary maintenance cost and time-on-wing risk to Rolls-Royce, allowing airlines to predict their operating costs more accurately. This service is underpinned by Rolls-Royce’s advanced engine health monitoring systems, which work to maximise aircraft availability, reliability, and fuel efficiency for the customer.
This new agreement reinforces the long-standing relationship between Rolls-Royce and China Airlines and highlights the carrier’s confidence in the Trent XWB platform and the value of the TotalCare service model for supporting its future growth ambitions.
