European Aircraft Industry: Airbus poised to revamp A330 with Rolls-Royce

A330 and Rolls-Royce

Airbus is set to upgrade its A330 with engines provided exclusively by Rolls-Royce, setting the stage for a bitter new phase in a battle for wide-body jet orders with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, people familiar with the matter said.

The move accelerates a growing interdependence between the European firms on large jets, with General Electric GE.N - the main alternative A330 engine supplier - no longer in the running for the $2 billion "A330neo" revamp, they said on Thursday.

Shares in Airbus and Rolls-Royce both rose as much as 1.8 percent against a flat market in early Friday trading.
The people, asking not to be named, said the provisional selection of Rolls as sole supplier for the revamped A330neo, offering up to 14-15 percent in fuel savings with the help of new wingtips, remains subject to Airbus Group board approval.

Exclusive: Airbus poised to revamp A330 with Rolls-Royce | Fox Business

3 airlines ground Super Jumbo A380s after engine blowout

Three airlines suspended flights of Airbus A380 double-decker superjumbo jetliners Thursday after an engine on a Qantas plane blew apart shortly after takeoff from Singapore.

Debris fell on an Indonesian island, and the plane, with 459 people aboard, spent 90 minutes circling with its three remaining engines, dumping fuel and preparing for an emergency landing back in Singapore. The episode ended with passengers cheering and praising the flight crew for maintaining calm. There were no reported injuries.

Justin Dubon, an Airbus spokesman in France, said it was the first uncontained engine failure and the most serious problem experienced by the A380, which entered service in 2007. Such a failure is rare and occurs when components fly off the main engine housing, often with explosive force.

The 20 operated by Qantas, Singapore and Lufthansa all use the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine. Seventeen others operated by Air France and Emirates use a different engine.

For more: Travel | 3 airlines ground A380s after engine blowout | Seattle Times Newspaper