Norwegian (Oslo Gardermoen) has confirmed that twenty-one of its B787s will have to have their Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powerplants upgraded.

In a statement to ch-aviation, Norwegian's Vice President (Communications), Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen, said the changes would take place during scheduled maintenance.

"Norwegian will - as planned and previously stated - upgrade the engines on thirteen B787-9s to a newer version (Trent TEN), not a new 'engine type'," he said. "The company's eight B787-8 aircraft will also receive upgraded Rolls Royce engines, but not the Trent TEN."

Rolls Royce, which will cover the cost of the upgrades, said last year around 500 Trent 1000s worldwide would require additional maintenance to resolve wear issues affecting their fan blades. Operators that have been forced to take active B787s out of service include Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic, and ANA - All Nippon Airways.