Trent 900 selected

Rolls-Royce PLC
7 May 2002


                                                                      7 May 2002

                ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 900 TO POWER LUFTHANSA'S AIRBUS A380s


Rolls-Royce announced today (Tuesday, 7 May) that its Trent 900 engine had been
selected by Lufthansa to power the airline's new fleet of high-capacity Airbus
A380s. The engine business, for 15 aircraft on firm order, is worth US$750
million to Rolls-Royce.



Mike Terrett, President - Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said: 'This is a
significant order from one of the world's most prestigious flag carriers who
have committed to Trent power for their future large aircraft fleet. We're
delighted to be extending our long-standing ties with Lufthansa.'



The Trent 900 is being developed specifically for the A380, which will carry
over 550 passengers, and will be available at thrusts from 68,000lb to 76,500lb
on both passenger and freighter versions of the aircraft.



Component production has begun and the first Trent 900 is scheduled to run in
March 2003, leading to engine certification at a rating of 81,500lb thrust in
the summer of 2004. Lufthansa will take its first A380 in 2007 following the
aircraft's entry into service with launch customer Singapore Airlines in March
2006.



In addition to Lufthansa, the Trent 900 has been selected by Singapore Airlines,
Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and International Lease Finance Corporation for an
announced total of 64 firm and option aircraft, giving it a share of 58 per cent
of A380 engine orders.



The Trent 900 is the second member of the Trent series to be selected by
Lufthansa. The airline was one of the launch customers for the four-engined
A340-600 airliner, ordering 10 firm aircraft plus 10 options in 1997. The
Rolls-Royce Trent 500 is the sole powerplant for the A340-600 and the longer
range A340-500.  The airline is scheduled to receive its first aircraft in
mid-2003.



As well as Lufthansa, five other members of the Star Alliance group - Air
Canada, bmi British Midland, SAS, Singapore Airlines and Thai International -
are Rolls-Royce Trent customers.







                                      -2-

Note to editors

Rolls-Royce is a global company providing power for land, sea and air. It
employs some 40,000 people in more than 30 countries, including over 25,000 in
the UK, 5,000 in the rest of Europe and over 8,000 in North America.  The
company has a balanced business portfolio with leading positions in civil
aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy markets. With annual sales of
around £6 billion and a forward order book of nearly £17 billion, its technology
is applied over a wide range of products that generate high-value services
throughout their operational lives.



Rolls-Royce engines power commercial aircraft in every segment of the market.
The company  has customers using both fixed and rotary wing aircraft in over 150
countries, including more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility
operators and 160 armed forces.



Rolls-Royce is also a global leader in marine propulsion, engineering and
hydrodynamic expertise, with a broad product range and full systems integration
capability.  More than 2,000 commercial marine customers and over 50 navies use
Rolls-Royce propulsion systems and products in 20,000 ships.  Navies alone
operate 1,000 gas turbines.



In the energy markets, the company has supplied more than 5,000 units to
customers in nearly 120 countries and is investing in new products and
capabilities for the oil and gas industry and for distributed electricity
generation.



The company has some 53,000 gas turbines in service worldwide and has pioneered
gas turbine technology for aerospace, electricity generation and marine
propulsion. It is involved in major future programmes in these fields, including
the world-leading Trent aero engine family, WR-21 marine engine, leading-edge
water jet propulsion systems, and combat engines for Eurofighter Typhoon and the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.



For more information from Rolls-Royce please contact:

Martin Johnson, Head of Communications - Civil Aerospace
Rolls-Royce plc
Derby
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]


Martin Brodie, Head of Corporate Media Relations
ILA 2002 International Aerospace Exhibition
Rolls-Royce Stand: Hall 8 #8.3-01
Tel: [phone]





                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange