Rolls-Royce Plans Return to Narrowbody Jet Engines

Rolls-Royce is planning to re-enter the larger narrowbody jet engine market through partnerships and is still looking for a partner, according to Jiemian News. The company has also advanced its UltraFan 30 validation engine project, which is not a commercial engine but a technology platform to test the capabilities needed for narrowbody entry; ground testing is scheduled for 2028. Rolls-Royce said the UltraFan 30 is designed to offer a ducted geared solution for narrowbody aircraft, target a 20% improvement in fuel consumption, and be compatible with 100% sustainable aviation fuel. In March, the company won 64 million euros in support from the EU Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking to lead the UNIFIED joint R&D project and push ahead with UltraFan 30 demonstrator development. The company said narrowbody output is expected to double over the next 25 years and that the segment will be Britain's biggest single growth opportunity for the aerospace industry over the next 50 years. Jiemian News reported that narrowbody aircraft account for about 60% of the global in-service commercial fleet, while the A320 and 737 families hold 90% of the market. Rolls-Royce also said widebody demand remains a focus in Greater China, where the widebody fleet is expected to rise from about 700 aircraft now to at least 1,100 by 2040. That includes about 400 aircraft of net growth plus replacement demand for older jets, according to Jiemian News. The company said it has more than 600 aircraft in Greater China powered by its engines, including more than 500 in service and over 150 on order, and that its market share in the region's widebody segment has exceeded 50% over the past decade. On engines already in service, Rolls-Royce said the Trent 1000 XE upgrade has entered phase two. Phase one improved high-pressure turbine blade cooling and more than doubled time on wing versus the initial stage; phase two, due to be validated this year, will improve the combustor, high-pressure turbine shroud and high-pressure turbine guide vanes and lift durability by more than 30%.