Qantas, the Australian airline, has officially confirmed the purchase of 12 new A350-1000 aircraft for its ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise initiative. This will help the company achieve its goal of operating the world’s longest commercial nonstop flights, allowing passengers to fly directly from Sydney and Melbourne to destinations such as London and New York.
With its premium layout, increased fuel efficiency, and compatibility with SAF, the A350-1000 is a modern aircraft (sustainable aviation fuel). The Trent XWB-97 engines from Rolls-Royce power the aircraft. The Trent XWB-97, which entered service in 2015, is currently the world’s most efficient large aero-engine in service. It outperforms the first Trent engine in terms of fuel consumption by 15%, allowing our airlines to fly farther on less fuel.
The XWB-97 is also ready to operate on SAFs as they become more widely available to airlines in the future, in keeping with our commitment to proving that all Trent engines are 100 percent SAF compatible by 2023. Since its debut in 2015, the Trent XWB is said to have saved more than 10 million tonnes of CO2.
In addition to improved efficiency, the Trent XWB provides the industry with a step-change in out-of-the-box maturity and reliability, consistently achieving better than 99.9 percent dispatch reliability. The engine can power ultra-long-range flights for up to 18 hours while still consuming little fuel. The XWB will power the Airbus A350 family exclusively, and the A350-1000 will be powered by the XWB.
“We have been powering Qantas aircraft for more than 40 years, and we are delighted to be making more history with Qantas on Project Sunrise. This project is closely aligned with our company’s passion for pioneering new innovations and achieving industry firsts. Our Trent XWB engine already has a pedigree in powering ultra-long-haul flights and doing so with the maximum efficiency and reliability.”
Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace
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