Rolls-Royce announced Thursday in Beijing that it won a 450 million US dollar order for Trent 700 engines to power 20 Airbus A330-300 twin jets for China Eastern Airlines.

The airlines currently has five Trent 500-powered Airbus A340-600 aircraft which, when they entered service last year, were the first Trent engines delivered to China.

Charles Cuddington, managing director of the Rolls-Royce Airlines business said: "China continues to be a key market for Rolls-Royce and, as one of the country's top three airlines, we are delighted to see China Eastern again choose Trent power."

The Trent 700 is firmly established as market leader on the Airbus A330 and this order further strengthens that position, he added.

The A330-300, powered by two 70,000 pounds thrust Trent 700s, is capable of carrying 335 passengers up to 5,650 nautical miles. The aircraft have been chosen to meet the growing aviation traffic demands in China.

Since its entry in to service in 1995, the Trent 700 has established the biggest customer base on the A330 with 28 operators, giving it a 39 per cent market share. The Trent family has won a 50 per cent share of the modern, wide-body market.