Rolls-Royce speaks following further reported Qantas issues

Engine maker Rolls-Royce has spoken to the press following more reports of problems with engines at Qantas.

Travel Insurance News - 03/03/2011

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Rolls-Royce has finally come out and fielded a range of questions from the media about a range of reported problems with its engines. Months after the explosion of an engine on a Qantas Airbus A380 over Indonesia, the engine maker fielded queries from the press during the Avalon air show in Australia.

Since one of its Trent 900 engines showered an island south of Singapore with engine parts, putting Qantas flight QF32 in headlines around the world, Rolls-Royce has said very little about the incident or a number of other problems reported after QF32 made an emergency landing in Singapore, shortly after having departed Changi Airport.

Reports since that incident have centred on an oil leak in both that engine and several other Trent 900s. In recent weeks, similar oil leaks were reported on the engines of other Qantas A380s.

In the latest incident, a Qantas jet suffered a partial loss of power on 24 February. Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau is currently investigating that incident. The airline says neither of the recent oil leaks affected the same part of the engine as was involved in last November’s engine explosion.

Qantas says it raised the issue with the engine maker and is waiting for feedback. Rolls-Royce’s spokesman, David Mair, says the company is working with Qantas to investigate the reports.

Andrew Dudgeon, chief executive of Rolls-Royce Australia Services, said there was no truth to reports the company had already been aware of any problem with its Trent 900 engines at the time of last year’s engine explosion. Mr Dudgeon, however, was unable to confirm whether or not engine design modifications introduced after the November explosion had been submitted for re-certification.

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