Emirates tells Rolls-Royce: Go back to basics...
Or the 777X; 10 years to slap on a new set of feathers and motors, and they’re still not there yet. But the stock price was on a mighty fine trajectory for a while ...
If what you say about RR is correct and if RR production is as bad and as inefficient as you say, then it sounds that RR have also had bad CEOs, so perhaps I was right ?
You also say that "Derny", Derby perhaps? are decades out of date, but I was under the impression that RR were still innovators - single crystal turbine blades etc. ?
You also say that "Derny", Derby perhaps? are decades out of date, but I was under the impression that RR were still innovators - single crystal turbine blades etc. ?
The civil aerospace business is completely different. Its massively bloated and full of people who are largely unemployable outside of RR - and getting rid of anyone takes far too long. There is huge duplication. They rely upon multiple UK locations for components - each with their own leadership, supply chain, transport etc etc . It all come together in Derby - which to be fair has had millions spent on it and is getting physically better - but should have consolidated its entire Uk manufacturing chain. But if you take the digital business for example - its housed literally in an old rotten brick building, leaking gutters and utterly unsuitable for a 'digital' company it professes to be. I laughed the first time I visited, as it was so terrible.
RR are undoubtedly innovators - but Derby isnt the only place in town and who in their right mind sets up leading edge digital business in Derby ? they had a succession of leaders, none of whom would make it in silicon fen, let alone valley. Seletar looks, feels and operates like a modern company and cut its ties from Derby years ago - so Derby stayed in the 1970's while Seletar is what you wuld imagine RR to actually be like.
It was one of the previous RR Chairmen who said "RR is a small Derby engineering firm trying to do business internationally' and the mentality is well and truly stuck there.
Crikey, all this from Tim Clark demonstrating even by modern standards a spectacular level of lack of self awareness. I doubt whether sir Tim has even the slightest knowledge of how a jet engine actually works but if ever there was a company driven by money regardless of consequences then it would be Emirates.
Its not lack of self-awareness but lack of caring a f*** about whether what he wants is actually possible. He knows that it would be stupid to sign up to Emirates performance demands but that wont stop him from asking. You would have thought that after Airbus gave him the finger over keeping the A380 live, given the V's by GE/Engine Alliance over the A380 engines and only being left with RR who would put up with them, he might have learned. He didnt and cannot as he is being watched by the COO who definitely wants his job and being Emirati, will get the job if Sir Tim doesnt play hardball 24/7 unreasonably.
I can just imagine all the wilting daisies crying in civil aerospace that the new CEO wont let them sign up to ridiculous terms and that the Emirates COO is having an apoplectic rage that he isnt getting what he wants (and has probably already promised to the Sheikh). This is the same COO who promised the Sheikh that Airbus would accept more A380 orders and RR would continue to make more Trent 900's.
That all said, I support RR 100% holding out against Emirates demands. Emirates cant go to anyone else for the A350 engines, so its time Sir Tim got a good kicking over his past history of unreasonable demands.
