Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines have powered the successful first test flight of the Boeing 787-9, the second member of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner family.

The aircraft took off from Seattle at 11.02 am and returned at 4.18pm, local time, September 17.

It continues a series of firsts for the Trent 1000, which powered the first test flight of the 787-8 in December 2009 and that aircraft's entry into service in October 2011. The engine will also power the 787-9 entry into service in 2014, with Air New Zealand.

John Griffiths, Rolls-Royce, Programme Director - Trent 1000, said: "We congratulate Boeing on this latest milestone in the 787 Dreamliner story and look forward to supporting a rigorous flight-test programme ahead of the 787-9's entry into service. The flight was powered by a higher-thrust version of our Trent 1000 engine, offering additional advantages for Dreamliner operators."

A further engine upgrade, the Trent 1000-TEN (Thrust, Efficiency and New technology), is being developed and will enter service in 2016. The engine will contribute to the industry-leading economics of the recently-launched Boeing 787-10, which will use at least 25 per cent less fuel than any other aircraft of its size. The Trent 1000-TEN will be an option on all Boeing 787 variants.