Rolls-Royce has despatched the Trent 7000 engines that will power the first flight of the Airbus A330neo.

The engines left the Rolls-Royce site at Derby, UK, and, after the nacelles are fitted and powerplant integration is completed at Safran in Toulouse, France, will be installed on the aircraft at Airbus during the Summer.

The Trent 7000, the seventh member of the Trent engine and the exclusive powerplant for the A330neo, brings together:

Experience from the Trent 700 - the engine of choice for the current A330

Architecture from the Trent 1000 TEN - the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine

Latest technology from the Trent XWB - the world’s most efficient large civil engine

Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, said: “We are pleased to have reached this important milestone and look forward to flight testing getting underway later this year.”

Rolls-Royce also provides the most popular engine choice for the original A330, the Trent 700. The 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000 delivers a step change in performance and economics compared to that engine. It will improve specific fuel consumption by ten per cent; have twice the bypass ratio; and will significantly reduce noise.