Portuguese aircraft leasing firm takes delivery of new Rolls-Royce powered jet

A Portuguese-owned aircraft leasing company has taken delivery of a new jet powered by Rolls-Royce engines.

Hi Fly, a privately-owned lease specialist, which operates an exclusive all-Airbus fleet, has taken delivery of a new A330neo, powered by Trent 7000 engines made by Rolls-Royce in Derby.

The new aircraft will be deployed to further expand Hi Fly’s long-haul lease and charter operations worldwide.

The firm already operates a fleet of 20 Airbus aircraft, including four A320s, 15 A330/A340 aircraft and one A380.

As a leasing specialist, Hi Fly provides aircraft on lease for short notice airline operations with crew, maintenance and third-party insurance provided in a service-ready package.

Its new A330neo is configured with 371 seats in a two-class layout, with 18 lie-flat business class seats and 353 economy seats.

All seats are equipped with the latest generation in-flight entertainment system and mood lighting is available throughout the aircraft.

The A330neo is the new-generation A330, comprising two versions: the A330-800 and A330-900.

The Trent 7000 is the exclusive engine for the A330neo. The engine, devised at Rolls-Royce’s Civil Aerospace site in Sinfin, brings together more than 50 million flying hours of experience from the Trent 700, which powers the original version of the A330.

It combines architecture from the Trent 1000 TEN – the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine – and the latest technology from the Trent XWB.

In a statement, Airbus said: “The A330neo builds on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330 family while reducing fuel consumption by 25% per seat versus previous generation competitors and increasing range by up to 1,500 nautical miles compared to the majority of A330s in operation.

The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new wing with increased span and new A350 XWB-inspired sharklets.

“The cabin provides the comfort of the new airspace amenities, including state-of-the-art passenger inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity systems.”