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General Electric has ruled out a variant of the Engine Alliance GP7000 powerplant, which powers the A380, for the A350 XWB-1000.

A GE spokesperson told ATWOnline yesterday that "it is not being considered." The engine, a joint venture of GE and Pratt & Whitney, is currently offered only on the A380. The XWB-1000 is to be powered by a Trent 1000 at 95,000 lb. thrust. There had been brief discussions between GE and Airbus on a possible 105,000-lb. GEnx derivative but those talks lapsed.

Meanwhile, the status of existing orders for the GEnx-powered A350 XWB-800/-900 remains up in the air, with GE stating that "we are still doing technical studies but are not close to a business agreement."

Six customers for the original A350--Air Europa (10), US Airways (20), ALAFCO (12), GECAS (10), TAM (10) and Qatar Airways (60)--ordered the GEnx and most analysts considered it a formality that new agreements will be concluded. But according to a spokesperson, "GE does not have a deal with Airbus on any A350 model and previous contracts we had are for an airplane that doesn't exist."

Source: ATWOnline