SIA grounds two Boeing planes for engine issue

Rolls-Royce Holdings said it will accelerate a program to install redesigned blades on some of its Trent 1000 engines, after early wear forced SIA to ground two 787 aircraft using the turbines. The latest setback for the Trent 1000 TEN, used on Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, came after the UK engine maker sampled a small number of the global fleet that had “flown in more arduous conditions,” Rolls said Tuesday. The company said it will work closely with customers that are affected as it tests “an enhanced version of this blade.” A Rolls spokesman didn’t say how many planes were affected, identify other customers or give details of the blades’ shortened life. The company said in February that about 35 Dreamliners remained grounded and that it aimed to reduce that number to about 10 by the end of the year. Design glitches have plagued the Trent program since 2016, leading to about $1.7b in charges, while eating into Rolls-Royce’s share of turbines for 787 jets against rival engine maker General Electric. Last year, the company said the intermediate pressure turbine blades -- which had already been flagged for replacement -- weren’t lasting long enough to meet the previously set maintenance schedule. Regulators have at times limited how far the planes can fly from an airport, which has forced airlines to re-route some long-distance flights. Singapore Air said it found “premature blade deterioration” during routine inspections of some plane engines, leading the carrier to ground two 787-10 aircraft. The carrier, in consultation with Rolls, identified other Trent 1000 TEN engines in its 787 fleet to undergo precautionary inspections, SIA said separately. All these inspections have been concluded, and a remaining check will be completed on a 787-9 aircraft of its Scoot budget carrier by Wednesday.<br/>