SEATTLE - Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) announced that Icelandair is the first airline in Europe to install and operate with Scimitar Blended Winglets (SBW) on its Boeing 757-200 aircraft. Aviation Partners' latest Winglet design, the Scimitar Blended Winglet, uses existing Blended Winglet technology but adds new aerodynamic Scimitar tips and a small outboard aerodynamic trailing edge wedge, further increasing the efficiency of the airplane.
A Retrofit enhancement to their current 757-200 Blended Winglets, Icelandair expects increased savings to block fuel, reduced engine maintenance, improved takeoff performance, and lower emissions, among other benefits.
"Here at Icelandair we take our commitment for greener aircraft very seriously. By adding the SBW to our 757-200 Blended Winglet fleet, we will further cut fuel consumption by over 1% on many flights, and therefore reduce emissions. This kind of technology helps us with our on-going drive for carbon neutral growth by 2020," says fleet managing director Andri Gretarsson.
The Scimitar Blended Winglet replaces the standard aluminum Blended Winglet tip with an aerodynamically optimized, scimitar-shaped tip cap. This helps provide the additional drag benefit over the standard Blended Winglet configuration.
The Scimitar Blended Winglet modification reduces Boeing 757-200 fuel burn by up to an additional 1.1% over the Blended Winglets alone; together they can reduce fuel burn by more than 6%.
Icelandair has been at the forefront of finding ways to minimize its environmental impact by examining every aspect of its flight operations, from reducing the amount of paper carried and extra water stored in the aircraft's tank, to implementing environmentally friendly aircraft design updates.
"We have a goal to fully support IATA's vision of achieving zero emissions by 2050. We are always looking for new ways that will help us move in that direction. Increasing our aircrafts fuel-efficiency is a key to reducing emissions which will help us meet that goal," says Mr. Gretarsson.
Icelandair is currently working on their 4th Scimitar Blended Winglet modification and plan to have a total of 17 units in service before the 2017 summer season.
"Icelandair has long been focused on greener aircraft," says Aviation Partners Boeing director of sales and marketing Chip Kiehn. "With the installation of the Scimitar Blended Winglets, Icelandair takes the next step in that legacy, which includes other APB products such as the 757-200 Blended Winglets and 767-300ER Blended Winglets. Not only will Scimitar Blended Winglets move them towards that goal, they also provide additional operational flexibilities, such as increased payload/range, and they look great too!"
