Rolls-Royce reports that the first Trent 7000 production engine has been despatched to the Airbus facility in Toulouse, in readiness to power the A330neo into service later this year.

Formal certification of the engine will also follow shortly, making the Trent 7000 the fourth Rolls-Royce engine to receive formal certification over a period of 12 months, following in the footsteps of the Trent 1000 TEN, Trent XWB-97, and Pearl 15.

The Trent 7000, the latest member of the Trent engine family, is the exclusive powerplant for the A330neo which enters service later this year. The aircraft is making its first appearance at this year’s Farnborough Airshow.

The first production A330neo — an A330-900 — is currently engaged in route proving trials with launch customer TAP Air Portugal. Two other -900s are involved in flight testing.

The 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000 offers a step change in performance and economics compared to the Trent 700 that powers the original A330. Benefitting from a bypass ratio double that of its predecessor, the Trent 7000 will improve specific fuel consumption by 10%, and will significantly reduce noise.