LE BOURGET, France (AP) -- Rolls-Royce PLC said Monday it has signed a $1.5 billion order with Gulf Air to supply engines for the Bahrain-based airline's new Airbus A330 long-haul aircraft.
The British aircraft engine manufacturer will supply Trent 700EP engines to power 20 Airbus A330 aircraft, with deliveries beginning in 2012, Rolls Royce said in a statement released at the Paris Air Show.
The order also includes a long-term service agreement on the new engines, as well as an extension of the service agreement on the Trent 700s that power 10 of Gulf Air's A330s already in service, Rolls Royce said.
Rolls-Royce has secured more than 70 percent of the market for A330 engines over the last three years and eight of the nine Middle East's A330 operators have selected Trent 700 engines to power their fleets, the company said.
Last month Gulf Air ordered 15 A320 single-aisle planes for its regional flights and 20 A330-300s to be used on flights to Europe and Asia.