Rolls-Royce will supply China Southern Airlines with jet engines in a deal worth US$600 million.

China Southern has ordered Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines to power its new fleet of 10 Airbus A330 jets, Rolls said in an official statement. The order also includes a 10-year maintenance and support package.

The carrier, which is based in Guangzhou, southern China, already has four Trent-powered A330s in service, and will take delivery of the new batch of aircraft in 2007 and 2008.

The Trent 700 is the most powerful engine available on the A330 and its high thrust performance, combined with low cost of ownership, gives us significant operational flexibility and commercial benefits, said China Southern's chairman Liu Shaoyong in a joint statement.