AEROSPACE firm Rolls Royce has signed several more contracts which will generate nearly $2billion extra business.

The company, which has a base in Barnoldswick, has secured five more deals at the Paris Air Show to supply engines to airline carriers.

It comes just days after the company signed record engine deals worth more than $12billion, including Rolls Royce's biggest ever civil deal worth $5.6billion with Qatar Airlines.

The contracts also saw the airline giant's first moves into the Latin American and Russian markets when it signed deals with Colombia-based Avianca and Aeroflot.

The deals have safeguarded 1,000 jobs for 10 years at Rolls Royce's plant in Barnoldswick where workers produce fan blades for the firm's range of engines.

The latest contracts which are to supply Trent and V5200 engines are: India's Kingfisher Airlines ordering engines for 25 planes worth $1billion a $480million contract to power 12 jets belonging to Kuwait-based Aviation and Lease Finance Company two contracts to supplying US lease company CIT with $300million and $85million worth of engines Etihad Airways, of Abu Dhabi, placing a repeat order to power four extra Airbus aircraft worth $200million.

a $115million order to supply engines to German carrier, Blue Wings.

Earlier this week MB Aerospace, based on the Heasandford Industrial Estate, Burnley, also signed contracts worth £40million to carry on supplying engines parts to Rolls Royce.

Martin Wright , executive director of the North West Air Alliance hailed the contracts as a huge boost to the area's industry.

He said: "The orders placed at this show are at an unprecedented level.

"It is clear the orders that companies in the north west have got are the largest we have seen for a number of years and an indication we are able to deliver with the supply chain that we have."