Airbus confident in Trent XWB-97 for its A350F

During Airbus’ 2025 Cargo Global Market Forecast (GMF), Crawford Hamilton, Head of Freighter Marketing at Airbus, addressed a question regarding the engines on the upcoming next-generation freighter, the A350F, which is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines.

He said Airbus remains confident in the performance of the Trent XWB-97, describing it as an excellent and highly efficient engine. While acknowledging some recent durability concerns, Hamilton noted that Rolls-Royce teams are actively working to address these issues. He added that by the time the A350F enters service, the engine’s performance and durability will meet the programme’s requirements.

Notably, the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine selected for the Airbus A350F is the same variant that powers the A350-1000, while the A350-900 is equipped with the Trent XWB-84. The XWB-97 delivers up to 97,000 pounds of thrust, compared to 84,000 pounds for the XWB-84.

The Trent XWB-97 engine has previously faced criticism over its durability in hot and harsh operating environments, particularly in regions such as the Middle East. Since the engine produces more thrust and runs hotter, it can face faster wear and tear in such conditions. A notable example came from Emirates, a long-standing Airbus customer and the world’s largest A380 operator, and now also operating the A350-900s, which in 2023 declined to commit to an immediate order for the A350-1000. As reported by Reuters, Emirates President Tim Clark noted that the engine’s expected time on wing was roughly a quarter of what the airline considers necessary between maintenance visits.

He also told reporters that Emirates would be prepared to order between 35 and 50 of the aircraft if Rolls-Royce improved both the engine’s durability and maintenance costs.

Rolls-Royce later said it was taking steps to improve the durability of its Trent XWB-97 engines but denied that the A350-1000’s engine was defective.

“The engine works really well in what we call benign operations ... But in sandy, hot conditions, it is challenged, as all modern engines are, because the temperatures are very high. We see it across the industry,” said Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Rolls-Royce, reported by Reuters.

In September 2024, an engine fire on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 drew attention to the Trent XWB-97 engines. Following the incident, the airline temporarily grounded its A350-1000 fleet for inspections.

The issue was later traced to damage in the engine’s main fuel hose assembly, which could rupture and lead to fuel leakage, in-flight engine shutdown, or fire. The incident prompted aviation authorities, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to mandate inspections of affected engines across the fleet.

Rolls-Royce has since implemented design modifications to the fuel hose assembly and worked with regulators to complete inspections across affected aircraft. The company also says the Trent XWB-97 now offers improved durability, even in the most demanding environments such as the Middle East. Most of the wear, it notes, occurs during take-off and climb phases, when the engine operates at its highest temperatures.

“During these flight phases, dust gets drawn into the engine core, broken up into smaller pieces and eventually melts onto the hot turbine blades,” explained Rory Clarkson, Engineering Associate Fellow, Engine Environmental Protection at Rolls-Royce. “This molten rock, described as Calcium Magnesium Alumino Silicate or CMAS, can seep between the material components of the turbine blades as they expand and contract in the changing temperatures. Over time, this breaks down the turbine blade thermal barrier, meaning more frequent servicing and downtime for the aircraft.”

The company says it has developed and tested an innovative new coating that enhances the durability of thermal barriers and can extend engine time on wing by up to 30%. “The coating is made up of a gadolinium zirconate which interacts with the CMAS to increase its viscosity, so it doesn’t penetrate the material in the same way.”

Airbus’ Hamilton also spoke about the future of the Airbus A330 freighter, noting that the aircraft continues to show strong potential in the second-hand market and remains trusted by operators such as Turkish Airlines and DHL.

In its 2025 Cargo GMF, Airbus has projected that the global dedicated freighter fleet will grow by 45% over the next 20 years, reaching 3,420 aircraft.

The A350F is capable of carrying a payload of up to 111 tonnes and flying up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 kilometres). Airbus says that, powered by the Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will deliver up to a 40% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation freighters with similar payload-range capability.

As of September 2025 data, Airbus has secured 65 orders for the A350F from 10 cargo carriers and one lessor, with the most recent from Korean Air, which converted seven of its existing A350-1000 passenger aircraft orders into the freighter variant. Korean Air also has twenty A350-1000s, seven A350Fs, and six A350-900s on order.

The European aircraft manufacturer is building two A350 freighters for flight testing, with trials scheduled for 2026 and 2027. Assembly of the first aircraft has already begun in Toulouse.