Rolls-Royce unveils Trent 1000 XE engine to double Boeing 787 reliability

After years of premature blade failures, enhanced engine promises to keep more 787s flying as Rolls-Royce targets complete fleet upgrade by 2027.

Rolls-Royce has introduced a new build standard for its Trent 1000 engine that promises to double time on wing for Boeing 787 operators, addressing years of reliability problems that have plagued the powerplant.

The British engine maker announced the Trent 1000 XE standard, incorporating redesigned components and including the manufacturer’s TotalCare support package as standard equipment. The XE designation nods to the preceding TEN model, with the E standing for enhanced.

The Trent 1000 competes with the GE Aerospace GEnx as an engine option on the 787 Dreamliner. The powerplant has suffered from poor availability for years, linked to premature degradation of certain parts, particularly high-pressure turbine blades.

“The Trent 1000 XE marks a step-change in performance for our current and future customers,” said Rob Watson, president of civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce. “We know that the same enhancements have already improved time-on-wing for the Trent 7000 and we are confident it will deliver for Trent 1000 customers.”

The Federal Aviation Administration certified the first batch of redesigned components under the durability enhancement program during the summer. However, Rolls-Royce began incorporating the improved parts into new-build engines from the start of this year in anticipation of regulatory approval. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency cleared the improved high-pressure turbine blades in 2024.

Key upgrades include new high-pressure turbine blades with 40% increased cooling, plus updates to the combustion system, fuel spray nozzles and engine electronic controller software.

Rolls-Royce plans to introduce a second phase of improvements early next year that will boost time-on-wing by an additional 30%. These enhancements include advanced coatings on combustor tiles, high-pressure nozzle guide vane film cooling changes, high-pressure turbine blade weight reduction and a Trent XWB-84-style combustor and turbine interface redesign. Coatings will also be optimized on the nozzle guide vanes and high-pressure turbine blades.

Testing is ongoing and certification for the phase-two upgrades is expected in the first quarter of 2026. Unlike the first set of improvements, the second phase won’t require flight testing to secure aircraft-level certification.

Rolls-Royce characterized the phase-two enhancements as a “minor modification that does not require flight test.” The manufacturer said the certification process “is delegated from the FAA to EASA and while it does require Boeing approval, it has fewer variables.”

The phase-one components are being progressively installed on the in-service fleet as well as new-build engines. Rolls-Royce said all in-service Trent 1000 engines will receive the upgraded phase-one parts within two years, with the roll-out to be completed during 2027. Phase-two upgrades will be installed on every engine at the earliest shop visit opportunity once that package becomes available.

To meet the two-year target, Rolls-Royce has increased supply chain output for the Trent 1000 by 33% so far this year and raised maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity by one-quarter.

“We’re confident that these bold changes, coupled with our long-term investment plans, will provide continuous improvement for our customers,” the manufacturer said. “We aim to significantly increase MRO capacity across our global network for all Trent engines by 2030.”

Rolls-Royce has also decided to include the TotalCare support package as standard with the XE, “which provides cost and maintenance predictability.” This, “coupled with the technology improvements, makes the Trent 1000 XE extremely competitive,” the company said.

The improvements for the Trent 1000 are part of a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) investment by the propulsion specialist to boost the durability and performance of its entire portfolio of in-production Trent engines.