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EASA orders airlines to replace some Rolls-Royce engines


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I wonder if there are enough spares or will this result in some flight cancellations due to lack of an aircraft?

December 21, 2017 / 4:00 AM / Updated 3 hours ago

EASA orders airlines to replace some Rolls-Royce engines

 

Reuters Staff

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European aviation safety regulator ordered airlines to replace some Rolls-Royce (RR.L) Trent 1000 engines on their aircraft as some components are suspected of having corroded.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said, to reduce the risk of both engines shutting down in flight, a new life cycle limit must be applied to certain engines with specific serial numbers

In cases where a plane has two affected engines installed, airlines must replace one of them, it said in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive published on its website on Thursday.

Rolls-Royce told investors in August that 400 to 500 Trent 1000 engines were affected by problems with components wearing out earlier than expected, according to a conference call transcript.

The affected engines are primarily installed on Boeing (BA.N) 787 aircraft, according to EASA.

“This directive mandates action we are taking as part of the continual development of our pro-active engine management programme,” a Rolls-Royce spokesman said.

Several airlines including Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ), British Airways (ICAG.L) and Virgin Atlantic [VA.UL] have previously reported problems with Rolls-Royce Trent engines, leading to extra inspection and maintenance and prompting them to cancel or delay some flights.

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British Airways said it did not have any of the specific engines referred to in the directive in its fleet.

A Boeing spokesman declined immediate comment.

The Trent 1000 powered the first 787-8 to enter service in 2011. The latest version of the engine, the Trent 1000 TEN, entered service in November and will power Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by Air New Zealand, Norwegian and Scoot.

Reporting by Victoria Bryan, Maria Sheahan, and Kate Holton; Editing by Adrian Croft

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Expanded Trent 1000 inspections set to disrupt 787 operations

  • 13 April, 2018
  • SOURCE: Flight Dashboard
  • BY: David Kaminski-Morrow
  • London

Rolls-Royce is warning of further disruption to Boeing 787 operators after disclosing that it will be conducting expanded inspections of certain Trent 1000 engines.

The inspections affect Trent 1000s with the Package C compressor, and the engine manufacturer says 380 such engines are in service.

It says the new regime follows further insight into the durability issue affecting the compressors, and admits that the inspections will "unfortunately lead to additional disruption" for its 787 customers.

Rolls-Royce says the additional inspections, on top of those originally planned, are necessary following "further understanding" of the durability problem.

"These inspections will be supported by service management and flight operations guidance to airlines to be issued by the airworthiness authorities," it states.

It stresses that neither the Trent 1000 TEN powerplant nor the Package B version of the engine will be affected by the new inspections.

"Our focus is on supporting our customers and doing all we can to minimise any impact on their operations," says Rolls-Royce chief executive Warren East.

"We sincerely regret the disruption this will cause to our customers and our team of technical experts and service engineers is working around the clock to ensure we return them to full service as soon as possible."

It adds that it will work with Boeing and the 787 customers affected in an effort to reduce disruption.

Rolls-Royce recently highlighted the Trent 1000 durability issue, and the costs associated with addressing it, in a financial results disclosure.

It says, however, that the need for more regular inspections will result in higher cash costs that those in its previous financial guidance. Rolls-Royce intends to "mitigate" the additional expenditure by "reprioritising" some of its discretionary spending. Free cash flow guidance for the group over this year remains unchanged.

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5 hours ago, DEFCON said:

But there's no mention of etops related issues? 

DEFCON: here is an update containing what

Quote

 

the  The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to reduce the amount of time the affected planes can fly on a single engine after a failure of the other. The time limit would drop as low as 140 minutes, compared with the current window of 330 minutes, a source familiar with the plans said.

is plannig

 

April 13, 2018 / 12:25 AM / Updated 7 hours ago

Rolls-Royce and airlines grapple with further Dreamliner engine issues

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Rolls-Royce (RR.L) requires more money and more inspections to fix problems with Trent 1000 engines on Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner planes, leading to further disruption for airlines and testing relations between Rolls and its customers. Problems with engine turbine blades wearing out sooner than expected have hampered a restructuring program prompted by the engineering company’s declining older engine program and plunging demand for oil equipment.

It said on Friday that more regular inspections are required and would lead “to higher than previously guided cash costs being incurred during 2018”.

“We sincerely regret the disruption this will cause to our customers,” CEO Warren East said in a statement.

Airlines have already been forced to alter schedules or lease other aircraft, but the latest issues could be more far-reaching.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to reduce the amount of time the affected planes can fly on a single engine after a failure of the other. The time limit would drop as low as 140 minutes, compared with the current window of 330 minutes, a source familiar with the plans said.

This effectively curtails operations across oceans or remote areas.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will also order increased inspections of affected engines in line with actions outlined by Rolls-Royce. Currently inspections must be carried out after every 200 flight cycles.

The two advisories are due to be issued on Friday, the source said.

Rolls said it would reprioritize spending to mitigate the costs and kept its 2018 free cash flow guidance unchanged at about 450 million pounds ($643 million), give or take 100 million pounds.

Shares in Rolls, one of the biggest names in British manufacturing, were down 1.3 percent by 1251 GMT.

It announced the need for stepped up inspections after liaising with authorities over a separate issue with the compressor on Trent 1000 Package C series engines. Rolls said there were 380 such engines in service.

Boeing said that about 25 percent of the Dreamliners flying were powered by the engine and it was deploying support teams to help to manage service disruptions.

General Electric (GE.N) engines used on some Boeing 787 Dreamliners are not affected.

ENGINE SHORTAGES

The need to inspect and repair Trent 1000 engines has led to an industry-wide shortage.

CEO East said Rolls was working with Boeing and airlines to minimize the disruption.

“Our team of technical experts and service engineers is working around the clock to ensure we return them to full service as soon as possible,” he said.

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Norwegian Air, which has the engines in 15 of its 27 Boeing 787s, said it hopes to have inspected all of its engines before May 26 and that it had already found one problem that required an engine to be replaced.

“It’s disappointing and frustrating that our new aircraft don’t work the way they are supposed to,” spokesman Lasse Sandaker-Nilsen said, adding that it had canceled a flight from Paris to New York next week as a result.

“We have an ongoing dialogue with both Boeing and Rolls-Royce and we have been told this problem has their full attention.”

Virgin Atlantic [VA.UL] has up to four 787s grounded at any one time while it sources replacement engines with Rolls and has also leased three Airbus A330-200s to help to cover its flying program.

A Virgin spokeswoman said it had been aware of the increased inspections announced on Friday and that the cover it had in place would be sufficient.

 

British Airways (ICAG.L), Japan’s ANA (9202.T), Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ) and Thai Airways, which also use Trent 1000 engines, were not available for immediate comment.

Scoot, a budget carrier owned by Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), said it expected some impact on operations.

In December the EASA ordered airlines to replace some Trent 1000 engines.

In March, Rolls said the cash hit from the problem should peak at 340 million pounds in 2018 before falling in 2019.

ng to do re Etops.

 

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FAA limits ETOPS flights for certain R-R-powered 787s

  • 16 April, 2018
  • SOURCE: Flight Dashboard
  • BY: Stephen Trimble
  • Washington DC

The US Federal Aviation Administration will limit a fleet of Boeing 787-8s and -9s powered by certain Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines from flying on extended operations (ETOPS) routes longer than 140min flight time from the closest diversion airport.

An airworthiness directive will be published on 17 April in response to “several engine failures of Trent 1000 Package C engines”, the FAA says in a notice published on 16 April.

The FAA originally approved the Trent 1000 Package C engine to operate ETOPS routes up to 330min flying distance from the closest diversion airport.

However, R-R began work in October 2016 on a redesign of the stage 2 blades in the intermediate pressure compressor section after discovering a design flaw.

More recently, R-R discovered the problem with the existing Stage 2 IPC blades is more hazardous than they first understood.

The new findings were reported to Boeing officials, who informed the FAA.

As a result, all 787s powered by Trent 1000 Package C engines must operate under the new 140min ETOPS limit within three days of the publication of the airworthiness directive, the FAA says.

The stage 2 blades in the IPC exhibit a resonant frequency that is excited at high thrust settings at certain temperatures and altitudes, the FAA says.

In the event of a single-engine failure on a 787 with a Trent 1000 Package C engine still operating, the remaining engine would have to operate at maximum continuous thrust until the aircraft can descend to land, the FAA says.

“If the remaining engine already had cracked IPC stage 2 blades, the likelihood of the remaining engine failing will further increase before a diversion can be safely completed,” the agency says.

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Engine woes good for some substitute carriers.

European airline to cover Air NZ flights

 
 
 7 0 

 

Nine of the airline's 11 Dreamliners have Trent 1000 ''Package C'' engines that need extra checks...
Nine of the airline's 11 Dreamliners have Trent 1000 ''Package C'' engines that need extra checks. Engineers are looking for signs of cracks in compressor blades. Photo: supplied

 

Portuguese charter operator Hi Fly is heading back to this country to help cover for Air New Zealand, which faces more disruption because of problems affecting Roll-Royce engines on some of its Dreamliners.

The charter firm provided cover for Air New Zealand for almost four months over the summer on Auckland-Perth and Auckland-Sydney routes, and Air New Zealand said it would return as disruption from engine issues could stretch for months.

Air New Zealand said during the weekend that two aircraft would be grounded while engines were sent to Singapore for repairs. Last week more frequent inspections of some engines were ordered by aviation safety authorities.

As a result, some Perth flights from Auckland and Christchurch have been cancelled and a Auckland-Sydney service has been scrubbed over the next week.

Air New Zealand has confirmed Hi Fly is returning next month but has not specified which routes it will service.

Hi Fly said from Lisbon at the weekend that it had not yet confirmed the aircraft it would operate.

During summer it used mainly four-engine A340s on daily flights between Auckland and Perth and Sydney.

About 100 crew from Portugal, including pilots, engineers and flight attendants were based in Auckland over the summer. As a wet-lease operator, Hi Fly provides planes, crew and insurance for governments and airlines.

About 340 engines globally are subject to the checks ordered by European aviation regulator EASA and this was placing very high demand on Rolls-Royce's maintenance facility, meaning it may take a number of months before Air New Zealand's engine repair work can be completed.

United States regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, has also restricted the distance aircraft with affected engines can fly from airports which is exacerbating disruption to airlines such as Air New Zealand, which flies long trans-Pacific routes.

Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and standards officer David Morgan said the airline remained fully compliant with the directives of EASA, the US aviation regulator FAA, and from Rolls-Royce.

Nine of the airline's 11 Dreamliners have Trent 1000 ''Package C'' engines that need extra checks. Engineers are looking for signs of cracks in compressor blades.

"Like Air New Zealand, aviation regulators prioritise safety over everything else and EASA and FAA have taken a very conservative approach in the checks and restrictions they've put in place around these engines,'' Morgan said.

"Customers travelling on our Dreamliner aircraft can be very confident in the integrity of the engines."

He said the airline would need to continue to make changes to flight timings and the aircraft type operating on some routes in order to avoid further flight cancellations to the extent that was possible.

The Boeing 777s operated by the airline have GE engines, are not affected by the alert and are being juggled to cover routes that were operated by some Dreamliners.

About 25% of the global Dreamliner fleet is powered by the engine type under increased scrutiny.

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Thai frets about reputational damage from grounded 787s

  • 25 October, 2018
  • SOURCE: Flight Dashboard
  • BY: Greg Waldron
  • Jeju

Thai Airways International is concerned about the reputational damage caused by persistent engine issues with its Boeing 787-8 fleet.

Four of the carrier’s eight 787-8s are ground awaiting spare parts for their Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, says Krittaphon Chantalitanon, vice-president of alliances and commercial strategy at Thai.

“We have to do a lot of schedule changing,” he says. “There have been some delays and we will extend the phasing out period of certain types of aircraft, namely the 747-400 and possibly earlier versions of the 777, the -200s and non-ER -300s.”

The airline is in discussion with R-R regarding compensation, but Chantalitanon feels that money is not the entire issue.

“Compensation is one thing, but the impact, to be polite, to the brand, for customer satisfaction, and everything that comes with it, is relative to the compensation. I'm more concerned with the impact to the brand and everything else rather than the ultimate financial figures.”

Issues with the both intermediate-pressure turbine and IP compressor blades in the Trent 1000 have been an problem with both Thai and other operaters throughout the world, periodically grounding portions of the world’s Trent-powered 787 fleet.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Thai operates six 787-8s and two -9s. Its eight 747-400s have an average age of 19.6 years, its five 777-200s 21.8 years, and its six 777-300s 19 years.

“Rolls have been very accommodating for a lot of the issues, but the matter remains unresolved. At the moment we have four 787-8s grounded, which comprise fifty percent of our Dreamliner fleet. We are working together with Rolls to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, but you never know if [aircraft five will be grounded].”

Chantalitanon made the remarks in an interview with FlightGlobal at the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) Assembly of Presidents, which was held recently on the resort island of Jeju, South Korea.

The carrier is also working on its future fleet plan, and hopes to receive cabinet approval by the end of 2018 for a fresh aircraft order. The carrier does not have a fixed number yet, but it is likely to be 22 or 23, of which two thirds will be widebodies, and one third narrowbodies.

A key driver of its decision for the new types will be the delivery slots on offer.

“Because of ongoing issues with engine parts, and pending the finalisation of future fleet plan, we need to extend the life of the current metal for a short while, until everything becomes clearer. Hopefully by the end of this year we'll have a more definite time frame of what, when, and where.”

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Airbus absorbs A220s to maintain 800-jet delivery target

  • 31 October, 2018
  • SOURCE: Flight Dashboard
  • BY: David Kaminski-Morrow
  • London

Airbus has rejigged its A330neo delivery schedule after Rolls-Royce admitted it would fall short on Trent 7000 engine deliveries, but the airframer is still maintaining a target of 800 aircraft deliveries.

But this target now includes 18 A220s, whereas Airbus had previously intended to deliver 800 aircraft excluding the A220 contribution.

Airbus concedes that, even with this switch, the delivery target is becoming a “greater stretch”.

 

The A330neo engine supply issue, it says, adds further pressure to its own “internal industrial challenges” – reportedly centred on A321neo production – as the company continues to deal with the backlog of engineless A320neos.

“We still have a lot to do to meet our commitments,” says chief executive Tom Enders in a third-quarter results disclosure – the first quarter since consolidation of the A220.

Enders says commercial aircraft deliveries and A320neo-family ramp-up remain the “primary operational focus”.

Airbus adds that it its working to resolve “certain commercial challenges” on the baseline A330 and A380 programmes, which it intends to complete by the end of this year.

The airframer is maintaining a full-year adjusted earnings forecast of €5 billion, including a “lower expected reduction” in this figure arising from the A220 inclusion.

Airbus had previously indicated, in its half-year results, that the A220 would reduce full-year adjusted earnings by €200 million, to €5 billion.

It says the net cash impact of A220 integration will be “largely covered” by funding arrangements made during the acquisition of the programme, meaning “limited” cash dilution.

Airbus’ adjusted earnings for its commercial aircraft division at the nine-month stage trebled to €2.34 billion, with revenues increasing by 11% to €30.5 billion.

Its third-quarter performance has benefited, it says, from improvements to ramp-up on the A320neo-family programme and good progress on the A350 programme.

 

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