AIRWORTHINESS · FINAL RULE · ENGINE FLEETA batch of non-conforming low-pressure compressor blades is prone to cracking. The FAA orders them out of service. Eight US-registered engines are affected, with parts costing about $225,000 per engine.
FAA AD 2026-20-11 · FR Doc. 2026-20869 Effective 17 November 2026 MCAI-based · EASA AD 2025-0288R1
Quick Answers
| Which engines are affected? | All Rolls-Royce Deutschland RB211 Trent 768-60, 772-60, and 772B-60 engines — the Trent 700 family. |
|---|---|
| What is the problem? | A batch of low-pressure compressor blades received a non-conforming repair. Their configuration deviates from the approved design, so they crack more easily. |
| What is the risk? | Blade cracking can progress to multiple structural failures. That raises the risk of in-flight shutdown, engine fire, and uncontained high-energy debris. |
| What must operators do? | Remove the affected LPC blades from service and replace them with serviceable parts, within the times in EASA AD 2025-0288R1. |
| How big is the US impact? | Eight engines on US-registered airplanes. The FAA puts parts at $225,000 per engine. |
| When does it take effect? | 17 November 2026. |
Quick Compliance Summary
- Identify the blades, not just the engine. The rule targets a specific batch. Your engine’s position depends on which blades are installed.
- Work to EASA AD 2025-0288R1. The FAA requires the actions within that directive’s compliance times. It is the incorporated document.
- Plan for a parts spend, not a labor spend. Labor is 2 work-hours. The parts run about $225,000 per engine.
- Check your supply position early. Serviceable replacement blades are the constraint. Order before the compliance time forces the issue.
- Trace records back through the chain. Blades may have moved between engines and shops since the original 2024 directive.
- Keep the paper trail. Removal and replacement records must show batch identity for every blade position.
Who Should Read This
Essential: Operators of Airbus A330 aircraft powered by Trent 700 engines, powerplant engineers, CAMOs managing the type, and engine shops holding affected blades.
Important: Parts and supply-chain teams tracing blade batches, lessors with Trent 700 assets, and safety managers tracking uncontained-debris risk programs.
At a Glance
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rule | AD 2026-20-11 — final rule, 14 CFR Part 39 |
| Identifiers | FR Doc. 2026-20869 · Docket FAA-2026-4648 · Project MCAI-2025-01834-E · Amendment 39-23484 |
| Publication | Federal Register Vol. 91, No. 196, pages 64751–64753, 13 October 2026 |
| Effective | 17 November 2026 |
| Applicability | All RRD RB211 Trent 768-60, 772-60, 772B-60 engines |
| Incorporated document | EASA AD 2025-0288R1, dated June 26, 2026 (the MCAI) |
| Required action | Remove affected LPC blades from service; replace with serviceable part |
| US fleet cost | $225,170 per engine; $1,801,360 across eight engines |
What Happened
The story starts in 2024. A batch of Trent 700 low-pressure compressor blades passed through a repair that did not follow the approved process. The repair changed the blade configuration. It no longer matched the design Rolls-Royce had certified.
Blades in that state crack more readily than they should. A cracked compressor blade can fail. One failure throws debris into the blade ring beside it. That is why the FAA language speaks of multiple structural failures, and why the listed consequences run from in-flight shutdown through engine fire to uncontained high-energy debris release.
EASA acted first. Its AD 2024-0130, dated July 8, 2024, required removal from service of the affected blades. EASA AD 2025-0288, dated December 17, 2025, kept those requirements and expanded the list of affected parts. A revision, EASA AD 2025-0288R1 dated June 26, 2026, corrected the original wording.
The FAA proposed its mirror rule on June 1, 2026, referencing the then-current EASA AD. By the time the final rule was issued, EASA had published the R1 revision, so the FAA adopted that version as the incorporated document.
What the AD Requires
The action is removal, not inspection. Affected LPC blades must come out of service and be replaced with serviceable parts. There is no continue-on-report option, and there is no terminating modification in this rule.
The compliance times live in EASA AD 2025-0288R1, which the FAA incorporates by reference. Operators should read that directive alongside this one. The European document sets which blades must move when, based on the affected part list.
The economics are unusual. Labor is small: 2 work-hours at $85 per hour, or $170 per engine. Parts are not: the FAA prices them at $225,000 per engine. Across the eight US-registered engines in scope, the FAA’s fleet estimate is $1,801,360.
That ratio tells operators where to focus. The work itself is a blade change. The hard part is holding a serviceable, correctly certified replacement blade when the compliance time arrives.
Why the Trent 700 Keeps Surfacing
Regular readers will notice a pattern. This is the third Trent 700 regulatory action inside six weeks on this site’s watch. In early September, EASA issued emergency directives on the Trent 700 oil pump. On October 1, EASA finalized those into operational prohibitions effective October 15. Now the FAA has finalized the LPC blade rule.
These are different problems on the same engine. The oil pump directives addressed lubrication. This blade rule addresses a repair-quality deviation. There is no evidence the issues are connected.
But the pattern matters for planning. The Trent 700 fleet is aging and remains the workhorse of many A330 fleets. Regulators are watching it closely, and operators should expect continued attention, not a quiet slide off the radar.
Impact Matrix
| Role | What the AD means for you | Immediate next step |
|---|---|---|
| Operator / fleet manager | Removal of affected blades within EASA compliance times | Identify engines in scope and their blade positions now |
| Powerplant engineering | Batch identity determines the affected parts list | Trace blade serial and batch records across shop visits |
| Supply chain / stores | Serviceable blades are the long-lead item | Order replacement blades before the compliance window opens |
| CAMO / airworthiness | Dual-document compliance — FAA AD plus EASA MCAI | Load both directives into the compliance register as one task |
| Part-145 / engine shops | Removed blades cannot re-enter service | Segregate and mutilate removed blades per industry practice |
| Lessors / asset teams | Engine records must show batch clearance | Request blade traceability evidence at each audit or transfer |
Operator Checklist
- List every Trent 700 engine you operate or hold, by serial number and position.
- Obtain EASA AD 2025-0288R1, dated June 26, 2026, and read it with this AD.
- Trace installed LPC blades against the affected batch identity.
- Order serviceable replacement blades for every affected position found.
- Schedule removals within the compliance times in the EASA directive.
- Record removal and replacement for each blade position, with batch evidence.
- Verify no removed blade re-enters any inventory or engine.
- Register AD 2026-20-11 with its November 17 effective date in your compliance system.
Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 8, 2024 | EASA AD 2024-0130 — first removal requirement for affected blades |
| December 17, 2025 | EASA AD 2025-0288 — requirements retained, parts list expanded |
| June 1, 2026 | FAA NPRM published (91 FR 32364) |
| June 26, 2026 | EASA AD 2025-0288R1 issued — the incorporated MCAI |
| October 13, 2026 | FAA final rule published (FR Doc. 2026-20869) |
| November 17, 2026 | AD effective |
ARW Take
This is a small rule with a large number attached. Eight engines sound like nothing across a global fleet. But each engine carries a $225,000 parts bill, and the compliance clock belongs to a European directive that has been running since 2024.
Three points stand out. First, most Trent 700 operators cleared this blade batch years ago under the original EASA directive. The US rule catches the stragglers, including any engine whose blade history only recently surfaced.
Second, the incorporated document is the EASA revision, not the original. Compliance teams should load 2025-0288R1 and retire older copies, because the parts list changed along the way.
Third, uncontained debris is the reason this rule exists. Blade containment is never guaranteed at the LPC, so the only safe blade is a conforming blade.
For operators, the message is supply chain, not spanners. If your records show any exposure, order the blades today. The directive’s compliance times will not wait for a backlog to clear, and neither will your next A330 release into service.
Sources
- FAA Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG Engines — AD 2026-20-11, FR Doc. 2026-20869, 91 FR 64751 (October 13, 2026) — federalregister.gov
- FAA NPRM, 91 FR 32364 (June 1, 2026)
- EASA AD 2025-0288R1, dated June 26, 2026 (MCAI, incorporated by reference)
- EASA AD 2025-0288, dated December 17, 2025; superseding EASA AD 2024-0130, dated July 8, 2024
FAQ
Does this AD cover the Trent 800?
No. The applicability lists only the Trent 768-60, 772-60, and 772B-60 — the Trent 700 family. The Trent 800 oil pump directives are a separate action.
My engine already had blades replaced in 2024. Am I done?
Probably, but verify. The parts list was expanded in December 2025. Check your blade positions against the R1 list, not just the original 2024 directive.
Can I inspect instead of replacing?
No. The AD requires removal from service and replacement with a serviceable part. There is no inspection relief in this rule.
What if a compliance time has already passed on the effective date?
The AD requires compliance within the specified times “unless already done.” An operator that finds an overdue position must treat it as a grounding-scale priority and coordinate with the FAA. Do not plan a revenue flight around an unremoved affected blade.
Related Reading:
AviationRegWatch publishes regulatory intelligence for aviation compliance professionals. This article is an informational summary of a published final rule, not legal or airworthiness advice. Always verify requirements against the official Federal Register text and the incorporated EASA directive, and consult your engine manufacturer, CAMO or the FAA before making compliance decisions.