At Economy Class and Beyond, we do love a good winglet on an aircraft. As well as the looks, they offer fuel burn decreases. Ryanair announced their first Boeing 737-800 with Split Wing Simitar winglets by Aviation Partners Boeing.
The move comes following a $175m agreement with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB). It covers the installation of over 400 pairs on their Boeing 737-800 fleet (the Boeing 737-8 200 aircraft have Boeing’s Advance Technology Winglet installed as standard).
They will replace the Blended Winglets that were factory installed.
This modification will improve aircraft fuel efficiency by up to 1.5%, reducing Ryanair’s annual fuel consumption by 65 million litres and carbon emissions by 165,000 tonnes.
The initiative is part of the airlines’ plan to meet its net-zero by 2050.
In Quotes
Ryanair’s Director of Sustainability, Thomas Fowler said:
“As Europe’s most environmentally efficient major airline, we are leading the way in sustainable aviation as demonstrated by this investment in our fleet. This winglet technology will help us reach our ambitious environmental targets on our pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. We are impressed with APB’s innovative winglet designs and look forward to having them installed on not just this first aircraft but on over 400 of our aircraft to further reduce our emissions.”
APB’s Chief Commercial Officer, Patrick LaMoria said:
“Having the operator of the world’s largest fleet of 737-800 Next Generation aircraft install Split Scimitar Winglets is the ultimate endorsement of APB and its products. We are both humbled and honoured to continue to support Ryanair in their ambitious sustainability initiatives.”
Fuel Savings add up
Over the years, we’ve seen airline manufacturers deploy winglet technology of some sort to improve drag on the wing of an aircraft, with Aviation Partners Boeing option being selected for upgrading in-fleet aircraft, to reduce the fuel burn bill.
Whilst there are ecological benefits (because less fuel being burned is a wonderful thing), the cost of burning fuel to lift passengers in the sky, cruise and land again add up.
And a 1.5% fuel burn saved per flight over a fleet of 400+ on multiple flights per day adds up fast.
Hopefully, the deployment will be quick to allow Ryanair to realise the savings.
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates, as well as Mastodon too! You can follow me on Instagram too!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.