The Rolls-Royce Trent 700 is the first Trent-family turbofan to enter airline service. Developed for the Airbus A330, it began operating with Cathay Pacific in 1995 and established the starting point for a succession of larger Rolls-Royce engines. Its principal commercial applications are the original A330-200 and A330-300.[1][2]
Introduction
An early milestone was the delivery flight of a Trent-powered A330 to Cathay Pacific on 28 February 1995. The programme subsequently became an important part of the A330's long-haul passenger fleet. Rolls-Royce's anniversary account places the Trent 700 at the beginning of a family that later included the Trent 800, 900, 1000, XWB and 7000, each adapted to different aircraft requirements.[2]
Machinery
The engine uses the Trent family's three-shaft layout, separating the fan, intermediate-pressure machinery and high-pressure core into distinct rotating systems. Wide-chord hollow titanium fan blades are another characteristic of the family. These features provided an architecture that Rolls-Royce could develop through subsequent programmes while continuing to support the original A330 powerplant.[3]
A330 applications
Rolls-Royce offers the Trent 700 for the classic A330 variants and identifies 72,000 lbf as its highest in-service thrust. The engine also supports the A330's transition from passenger service into cargo operations through passenger-to-freighter conversions. Retaining the engine while changing the aircraft's role gives the programme a freight application beyond its original airline-passenger market.[1]
Service experience
An Aeroflot Trent 700 accumulated 50,000 engine flying hours without an overhaul, a milestone recorded by Rolls-Royce in its 2020 retrospective. The manufacturer's support offering includes engine-health monitoring and maintenance agreements that cover time on wing and shop-visit costs. The unusually long-lived individual engine illustrates the mature programme's service experience without representing a fixed interval for every engine.[2][1]