Etihad to receive eight Airbus A33o aircraft powered by Rolls Royce engines

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways confirmed yesterday they will receive deliveries of eight Airbus A330 aircraft powered by Rolls Royce's Trent 700EP engines.

The delivery dates will be between now and 2011.

"The value of engines for the eight aircraft is $575 million (Dh2,110.2 million). This price includes costs related to maintenance and service of the engines," a spokesman for the UAE national airline told Gulf News.

Etihad ordered 12 Airbus aircraft at last year's Paris Air Show. Of these, five are A330-200 passenger aircraft and three are A330 freighters. The remaining aircraft are A340s.

While ordering an aircraft, airline companies negotiate separately with airframe manufacturers and makers of the engines.

Etihad currently has 42 aircraft in its fleet. It presently flies to as many as 50 destinations worldwide.

Rolls Royce said in a statement the Trent 700EP is the latest and most fuel-efficient version of the best-selling engine for the A330.

It added that the Trent 700 is the only engine designed specifically for the A330.

"With over ten million hours in service, it also represents the lowest noise, lowest emission and most efficient fuel burn for engine types fitted to the aircraft."

"Recent improvements include increased fuel efficiency resulting in a significant 1.3 per cent improvement in fuel consumption on new build engines and a 1 per cent improvement on engines fitted with the EP retrofit," Rolls Royce said.