Rolls-royce hit by new wave of problems with Trent engines

ROLLS-ROYCE has warned of fresh problems affecting about 200 of its engines, further damaging the engineer’s reputation for reliability.

The company has revealed about one in 10 of its Trent 700 engines need repairs because of corrosion to turbine blades. It told operators of the engine, which powers the Airbus A330 airliner, that the problem does not require an immediate fix.

A spokesman said the issue affects the high-pressure turbine on engines that have been “operating in a particular environment”. Trent 700s are one of Rolls’ most profitable engines. The company is building its 2,000th unit in Derby.

Most of the 200-plus engines are due for a regular service within a year which will solve the problem. Of those not scheduled for maintenance, Rolls already has a £150m annual “contingency fund”, which it believes will cover the cost.

Cracks were discovered in the Trent 1000 engines used to power Boeing’s 787 jets two years ago, leading to aircraft being grounded.

The bill for the Trent 1000 issues is expected to total £1.5bn and the company has instigated a round of cost cuts and put on hold nonessential spending.

In September there were worries that there could be problems with the Trent XWB used on Airbus’s new A350 jets after an in-flight shutdown on a flight from New York to Madrid.

The shares closed down 2.3pc at 814.4p on news of the latest troubles.

Robert Stallard, at Vertical Research Partners, said: “Although this latest Trent reliability issue is not (currently) of the scale of the Trent 1000 problems, it does not help. Rolls’ reputation has already taken a battering.”