Rolls-Royce, Absent From Busiest Jet Segment, Studies Path Back
- UK engine maker says it’s open to single-aisle partnerships
- Rolls left narrow-body market a decade ago; now it’s booming
Trent XWB aircraft engines stand on the production line at the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby, UK.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
More than a decade ago, Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc walked away from the market for single-aisle aircraft when it sold its stake in a venture making engines for the Airbus SE A320. Now the UK manufacturer is looking for ways to get back into the most widely flown segment of commercial aviation.
Rolls-Royce would be open to becoming a partner on single-aisle engine programs, said Rob Watson, who leads Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace business. While there’s “always room” for such collaborations, teaming up with another engine maker depends on how the market develops, he said.