Rolls-Royce agrees to early inspection of problematic Trent engines

Rolls-Royce has agreed to an early inspection of some Trent 1000 TEN engines by regulatory authorities, a week after SIA grounded two Boeing Co 787-10 jets fitted with the units. The latest version of the Trent engine has been dogged by problems since entering service at the end of 2017. According to Rolls-Royce, by late February 35 787s had been grounded globally due to engine blades corroding or cracking prematurely. “This blade deterioration is a known issue but it is occurring faster than we expected on some engines,” Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce President for Civil Aerospace, said on Wednesday. The accelerated inspection regime will allow Rolls-Royce to confirm the health of the more than 180 engines in service over the next few months. Singapore Airlines grounded its two jets last week after engine checks showed premature blade deterioration. Jefferies analysts said the affected engines were being operated on routes to Japan, Korea and Thailand, meaning they had a relatively high take-off and landing cycle.<br/>