WA Facility Would Build Airbus A380 Engines

As British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce enjoys one of its best periods to date, word comes the mainline supplier for engines on Airbus aircraft is considering building a second American plant... in Washington state, no less, figuratively next door to Boeing.

News of a possible move overseas, seen as another step in Rolls-Royce's plans to expand its operations globally, comes one week after the manufacturer announced its plans to create a subsidiary in Bangalore, India, to service that region's explosive airline growth.

If a second American plant is built -- the company also has a site in Indianapolis, which it inherited in the 1995 acquisition of Allison -- it would be the first plant outside of Derby, England, manufacturing the mammoth Trent 1000 power units for such aircraft as the Airbus A380 (below), according to the London Times.

A general recovery in the civilian aerospace market -- along with a gain in market share that allowed Roll-Royce to overtake rival GE for this first time this year, based on engine sales for wide-bodied airliners -- have led to a steady increase in Roll-Royce revenues, both in current sales and in the aftermarket service sector.
 
The company already employs 7,800 in the US, including about 4,000 at the Indianapolis plant, where workers build engines for the Joint Strike Fighter as well as some light civil aircraft.

FMI: www.rolls-royce.com