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Engines · Rolls-Royce

Trent 700 and Trent 900

Trent 700, Trent 900

out of production, in service 2 min read · updated 11 October 2026 · checked 11 October 2026

Turbofan model under test
An ultra high bypass ratio turbofan model in a NASA wind tunnel. Credit NASA.

At a glance

Engine card

VariantsTrent 700, Trent 900
ArchitectureThree shaft turbofan
Thrust67,500 lbf on the Trent 700, up to 80,000 lbf on the Trent 900
ApplicationsA330ceo on the Trent 700, A380 on the Trent 900
Built byRolls-Royce
StatusOut of production, in service

Program and production

Neither engine is in production, and both are supporting fleets that are flying longer than planned.

The Trent 900 case is the more interesting one. Emirates is growing its active A380 fleet rather than shrinking it, from roughly 94 aircraft toward about 110 by the end of 2026, because the 777X it ordered is years late. An airline does not restore stored widebodies without committing to support the engines, and Emirates has done exactly that.

In 2026 Emirates formalised an agreement with Rolls-Royce to begin in house fan case repairs on the Trent 900 from 2027, in an expansion of its Engineering Maintenance Centre at Dubai World Central. The agreement extends Emirates' TotalCare service contract into the 2040s.

In plain terms

TotalCare is Rolls-Royce's power by the hour arrangement, where the airline pays per flying hour and Rolls-Royce carries the maintenance risk. Extending one into the 2040s on an out of production engine is a long commitment by both parties, and it tells you more about the A380's future than any public statement.

The Trent 700 story is quieter. It powers a large A330ceo fleet, and those aircraft are being kept flying because A330neo and 787 deliveries have not arrived on schedule.

Technical and maintenance

Both engines are mature with no systemic defect. The work is ageing widebody engine support, and the constraints are parts and capacity rather than reliability.

On the line

Bringing a repair in house, as Emirates is doing with the Trent 900 fan case, is the characteristic response to supporting an out of production engine. When the OEM network contracts, capability moves to the operators with enough fleet to justify it. If you are a smaller operator on either engine, the practical consequence is a longer queue, because you are competing for the capacity that remains rather than building your own.

Used serviceable material availability matters more here than on an in production engine, which makes the retirement rate of other operators' aircraft a direct input to your own parts supply.

Applications and fleet

The Trent 900 and the Engine Alliance GP7200 were the two A380 options. Emirates ordered 123 A380s, 90 with the GP7200 and 33 with the Trent 900, so roughly a quarter of that fleet is Rolls-Royce powered. Other A380 operators are split between the two.

The Trent 700 competes with the GE CF6-80E1 and the PW4000 on the A330ceo, where it took the largest share.

Safety

No significant developments since 11 October 2026.

No Airworthiness Directive of fleet wide significance was issued against either engine in this period.

Sources