New wings for airbus

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus launched its fuel-saving "Sharklet" large wingtip devices for its A320 family yesterday - the first model of the mid-range airliner to be fitted with the wingtips will be delivered around 2012, Airbus chief operating officer John Leahy said as the Dubai Airshow opened...

He told reporters the Sharklets were expected to result in cutting fuelburn by 3.5 per cent, corresponding to an annual reduction of 700 tonnes of CO2 per aircraft.

Airbus said Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the Sharklets which are specified for its future A320 fleet.

The company's arch-rival Boeing of the United States already has wingtips fitted to its 737 aircraft.

Source: AFP