New Zealand’s largest airline, Air New Zealand announced that it will retrofit winglets to its Boeing 767-300ER. The makeover is supposed to cost about 4 million NZ dollar project but is supposed to save around 6.5 million litres (or 1.6 million gallons) of fuel savings with a payback in 3.5 years (and will continue to pay itself for 20 years). The airline is also considering adding winglets to its Boeing 777-200ER fleet as they become available.
About these winglets –
- The winglets will be 3.4 meter in height.
- Will increase performance and cut fuel consumption
- Faster Take-offs
- Lesser noise
- Can increase the resale value of the aircraft
- This refit will be largest ever installed on a commercial aricraft
And More –
Air New Zealand has also decided to install “new Swedish
dryers in all 42 of its jet aircraft.
They will remove up to 400 kilograms of moisture from the floors
and ceilings of aircraft and reduce fuel costs even further.” The electrically powered dryers will be fitted in the
company’s 777s, 767s, 737s and its Airbus SA A320 aircraft. “
A lot of US Airlines have fitted winglets on Boeing 737s (look at any of the Southwest airlines’ airplanes). I think the step by Air New Zealand is worth all the praise. Rather than just saving on the fuel bill, their carbon emmissons will be lower, which means that they are doing a great job for the environment for us, our kids and their kids.
From One News –
It’s the mother of all winglets, designed for a jumbo. And while
the four-metre version never made it into production, Air New
Zealand’s chief pilot Dave Morgan wants them on all the airline’s
jets.“The shape of the winglet reduces the drag, we get more lift,”
says Morgan.
Haha Great job for the environment? I don’t get along with the Greenpeace crown but I’m sure they’d disagree.
Something hugely polluting using a bit less.
Still until they (the Greenpeace crowd) start proposing sensible shared rations with freedom to spend your individual ration how you choose they’ll never have my vote.
Still, these savings are big amounts of money and it’s a no-brainer to do something that pays back at 30% a year, even in NZ you don’t get that from a bank for sure.
Those tips save airlines millions of dollars in fuel. they have installed them on some older planes to help them in fuel savings as well….