Rolls-Royce, which makes some of the engines for the new Airbus fleet to be delivered to SA Airways this week, says it looks forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the airline.
Rolls-Royce vice-president of airline marketing Robert Nuttall told reporters in Derby, north of London, his company was ready to give SAA maximum support.
SAA will take delivery of an A340-600 later this week. It is the first of 41 new Airbus aircraft SAA has ordered for delivery over the next 10 years.
The first two planes will be used for the Hong Kong and Frankfurt routes.
Rolls-Royce, which already supplies engines for some of SAA’s aircraft, will be supplying Trent 500 engines for the A340-600. It is the exclusive supplier of engines for this aircraft. Reporters were taken on a tour of the Rolls-Royce factory on Tuesday and the Airbus UK facility in Broughton, Wales, on Wednesday.
Airbus UK designs and supplies the wings for all Airbus aircraft and fuel systems, and most landing gears.
Reporters were shown the facilities where the wings for the new 550-seater A380 super-jumbo will be built. SAA will not, however, take delivery of the super-jumbo, which is the biggest commercial jetliner in terms of seating capacity ever to be built.
The A340-600 will land in Johannesburg on Saturday. – Sapa