 The Airbus A380's engines are built by Rolls-Royce |
Aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce has announced a 21% rise in pre-tax profits to �345m. The company, which has sites in Derby, Bristol and Coventry, says its order book now stands at a record �18.9bn.
On Wednesday the company announced a 12-year agreement with Virgin to service its Derby-made Trent engines.
The group said sales in 2004 rose by 5% to �5.9bn due in part to the faster civil aerospace revival and 14% growth in engine servicing revenues to �3.2bn.
Major employer
This year saw the launch of the new A380 super jumbo aircraft, which is partly being made in Britain.
The airbus' engine has been made and tested by Rolls Royce at the company's site in Derby .
Chief executive John Rose said: "These factors, supported by our investment in operational efficiency, underpin our expectation of continued growth in profits and reduction of average net debt."
The company employs more than 21,000 people across the UK.
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