Rolls-Royce and Emirates have strengthened their long-standing collaboration on the Trent 900 by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will expand joint MRO support for the engines powering Emirates’ Airbus A380 fleet.

The agreement also includes an extension of Emirates’ Trent 900 TotalCare contract into the 2040s, securing long-term aftermarket coverage for the world’s largest A380 operator.

The renewed commitment reflects both companies’ intent to ensure sustained reliability, resilience and efficiency across Emirates’ 116-strong A380 fleet as it continues operating the type for at least another two decades.

As part of the expanded partnership, Emirates will develop a new engine facility at its Engineering Maintenance Centre in Dubai, with the first induction scheduled for 2027.

Emirates will undertake fan case repairs at the site, while Rolls-Royce will maintain module repair capability across its global network.

Ahmed Safa, Emirates’ head of engineering and MRO, said: “With Emirates’ plans to continue operating our Airbus A380 fleet into the 2040s, we wanted to secure our own engine maintenance capabilities. We are pleased to sign this agreement with Rolls-Royce which takes our partnership further. We will be working closely with their team to bring the latest engine MRO capabilities into our facilities as part of our expansion of Emirates’ Engineering Maintenance Centre (EEMC). This is yet another value-added contribution to Dubai’s growing aerospace sector capabilities.”

Paul Keenan, director – commercial aviation aftermarket operations at Rolls-Royce, added: “Today’s announcement marks another milestone in our journey to significantly increase our global MRO capacity and capability by 2030. Our global network combines a strong mix of Rolls-Royce owned facilities, joint ventures and strategic collaborations with industry partners. We are delighted to welcome Emirates to that mix ahead of the new facility opening in 2027.

“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.”

The expanded Trent 900 partnership reinforces the A380’s role in Emirates’ long-term fleet strategy and deepens Rolls-Royce’s global aftermarket footprint.

The agreement was signed at the Dubai Airshow 2025.

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