Rolls-Royce has defended recent price increases for its jet engines, rejecting airline claims that manufacturers are profiting from supply-chain disruptions while reliability issues persist.
Airline frustration was voiced by International Air Transport Association, whose director general Willie Walsh said engine makers have raised repair costs across the board despite durability shortfalls and long maintenance queues.
A senior executive at Rolls‑Royce said the company remains on track with a program to improve the durability of its largest engine used on the long-haul Airbus A350-1000.
Rolls-Royce said the upgrades are already delivering 60% more time on wing between overhauls, with further gains expected from 2028 as additional enhancements are rolled out.
To validate performance, the company plans to test the engine in harsh Middle East conditions in 2027. Emirates, the world’s largest buyer of wide-body aircraft, has urged manufacturers to extend the interval between shop visits before committing to further purchases.
The executive also voiced general support for proposals by Airbus to expand the A350 family with a larger A350-2000 model, aimed at competing with Boeing’s 777-9, but declined to discuss specifics.
Emphasizing close cooperation with Airbus, Rolls-Royce said it intends to align engine strategy with aircraft development, even as analysts warn that a larger A350 variant could require costly engine upgrades or a new design.
