Quantcast

Rolls-Royce vs GE: Key differences in commercial aircraft engine manufacturing

American Testing Tech to Help Passengers Make Connecting Flights
Why fuel price crash won’t make flying cheaper
Kristi Noem says travelers without Real ID will still be able to fly after deadline
Frontier Airlines Announces New Routes Launching This Summer, Connecting Baltimore With Chicago O’Hare and Trenton, N.J. With Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Airlines in North America prioritize investments in cyber, AI
Global Airlines & HiFly Operate 1st Passenger Airbus A380 Flight Between Barcelona And Berlin
American Airlines unveils ritzy new plane suites launching this summer
Airline Stocks To Keep An Eye On - April 28th
50 New Routes Starting In May 2025
Report: JetBlue, United Mulling Partnership
New First-Class Suites, Futuristic Aircraft and the Top Air Travel News From April 2025
Southwest Airlines Announces Reimagined Fare Products, New Benefits for Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers and Tier Member Customers
New Alaska Airlines trading cards take flight this World Pilots’ Day - Alaska Airlines News
United CEO calls Trump's tariffs a 'chess game'
Virtual Training Becomes a Reality
Korean Air Restarts Longest 747 Passenger Flight in the World
Flight tickets from Srinagar remain exorbitantly high despite aviation ministry request
RTX Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Increase Year Over Year
Delta faces federal investigation as it scraps hundreds of flights for fifth straight day
Coalition pledges to remove EV tax break two days after Dutton ruled out scrapping it – as it happened
Adani’s airport unit seeks $750 million loan from global banks
GE Aerospace affirms outlook; CEO met with Trump to discuss tariffs
Flight made emergency landing in Denver after reported animal strike and engine fire
General Dynamics says G800 jet receives FAA, EASA certifications
Archer unveils plans for NYC air-taxi network in partnership with United Airlines
United Airlines doubles down on Chicago roots with new O'Hare billboards
ICAO Proposes ‘Journey Pass’ Biometric ID Boarding
Gatwick airport strikes, Easter 2025: will my flight be cancelled?
Boarding passes and check-in could be scrapped in air travel shake-up
The most in Mexico: American Airlines adds 30th destination as part of a record-breaking schedule
Rolls-Royce vs GE: Key differences in commercial aircraft engine manufacturing
Policy
Webp messenger creation 28941593
Tufan Erginbilgic Rolls-Royce's Chief Executive | Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace are the only companies manufacturing engines for modern widebody commercial aircraft. Pratt & Whitney, which once made engines for widebodies, has shifted its focus to narrowbody engines. Meanwhile, France's Safran collaborates with GE Aerospace to produce CFM International LEAP narrowbody engines.

The Rolls-Royce Trent X exclusively powers the Airbus A350, while the GE-9X is designated for the Boeing 777X. Rolls-Royce also provides engines for the Airbus A330neo and offers an option for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with its Trent 1000 engine. On the other hand, GE engines power most Boeing widebodies, including the upcoming Boeing 777X and current Boeing 787 models.

In recent years, Rolls-Royce faced challenges with its Trent 1000 engine due to a corrosion-related issue discovered in 2016 that led to significant financial costs and operational disruptions. Since then, airlines have increasingly favored GE's GEnx-1B engine over Rolls-Royce's option for new orders of the Boeing 787.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

Currently, Rolls-Royce holds about 12% of the overall commercial passenger jet engine market share, while GE leads with a 55% share when including co-produced engines with Safran. Despite this disparity in market share, both companies maintain a strong presence in widebody aircraft orders.

Rolls-Royce has signaled potential interest in re-entering the narrowbody market but currently does not produce such engines. Conversely, GE dominates this sector through a joint venture with Safran under CFM International.

Beyond aviation, both companies' technologies extend into naval applications. The General Electric CF6 powers various naval ships as well as some military transport aircraft. Similarly, Rolls-Royce adapted its Trent series for use in naval vessels.

Looking ahead, both companies are developing hybrid electric technologies for smaller aircraft markets. In collaboration with NASA, GE is working on a hybrid electric demonstrator engine designed to supplement power during different phases of operation. Rolls-Royce is also exploring all-electric and hybrid-electric systems aimed at advanced air mobility markets.

In summary, while GE Aerospace manufactures both narrow and widebody aircraft engines, Rolls-Royce focuses solely on widebody models. This division positions them as dominant players within their respective segments amid ongoing technological advancements and industry shifts.

___

Organizations Included in this History
More News

On June 17, 2025, Star Alliance was recognized as the World’s Best Airline Alliance for the fourth consecutive year at the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

Jul 14, 2025

Star Alliance has been named the World's Best Airline Alliance at the 2025 Skytrax Awards.

Jul 12, 2025

SAS and Air France have applied for a codeshare network covering ten U.S. destinations, including New York's JFK and Los Angeles' LAX.

Jul 12, 2025

Aviation analytics firm Cirium has released its June 2025 On-Time Performance (OTP) report, which analyzes global punctuality trends among airlines and airports.

Jul 12, 2025

United Airlines is set to resume flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport on July 21, 2025.

Jul 12, 2025

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport experienced significant growth in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic passenger numbers.

Jul 12, 2025