Emirates Joins Rolls-Royce MRO Network, Will Service Trent 900s

Emirates has joined the Rolls-Royce aftermarket network and will begin servicing its in-fleet Trent 900 engines from 2027.

Announced at the Dubai Airshow on Nov. 20, the UAE-based airline will induct the first of the widebody engines—powering Airbus A380 aircraft—at a soon to be built designated engine shop in Dubai, located at its existing maintenance site.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) will see Emirates conduct fan case repairs at the facility while Rolls-Royce will maintain module repair capability within the global network, which is comprised of Rolls-Royce owned facilities, joint ventures and strategic partnerships.

“The agreement will allow for additional capacity in the entire Rolls-Royce network and further reinforces our commitment to deliver both excellent products and services to our global customer base,” said Paul Keenan, director-commercial aviation aftermarket operations at the British engine manufacturer.

Coinciding with the announcement of the MOU, both parties confirmed that an existing TotalCare agreement for Trent 900 engines will be extended to the 2040s, with Emirates planning to operate A380s for the next two decades.

“With Emirates’ plans to continue operating our Airbus A380 fleet into the 2040s, we wanted to secure our own engine maintenance capabilities,” Emirates head of engineering and MRO Ahmed Safa added.

Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of A380 superjumbo aircraft, with 116 currently in-service, reducing slightly to 110 aircraft by the end of next year. Airbus ceased production of the aircraft in 2021, and several other carriers have started retiring A380 aircraft in bigger volumes.

The Trent 900 engine competes in the engine market for A380 aircraft with the Engine Alliance GP7200. Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast 2026 data projects a total MRO demand of $12.9 billion for the Trent 900.

Rolls-Royce has targeted growth of its aftermarket network worldwide, particularly for growing engine programs such as the Trent XWB and 1000. In the past year, the OEM has added new MRO providers to its stable of partners while also adding additional capacity across its shop network. Earlier in 2025, Turkish Technic agreed to terms to develop full capability to service Trent XWB-97 and Trent XWB-84 engines, which power A350s, as well as the Trent 7000, which equips the A330neo.