Page 58 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017 Online Magazine

IN THE NEWS

Fuel Saving Upgrade

Airbus Sharklet wing tip device is proving popular with Airbus A320ceo
Family customers
By Atul Chandra

THE AIRBUS ‘SHARkLET’ IS A 2.4-METRE- Commercial Manager – A320 Programme,
tall fuel-saving wingtip device, which Airbus Upgrade Services. Around 98
offers the main benefit of up to 4.5 percent percent of CEO aircraft delivered today are
reduced fuel burn for A320 Family jetliners. Sharklet equipped from the Airbus Final
While Sharklets are standard on the Assembly Lime (FAL). More than 1,500 have
A320neo family, they can either be fitted been delivered as of December 2016. By
as standard on the A320ceos currently in 2020 there will be more A320 Family aircraft
production or retrofitted to older or earlier flying with Sharklets than the previous wing-
built aircraft. More than 95 percent of all tip fence.
A320ceo (Current Engine Option) Family All A320 family aircraft (A319/A320 and
customers have selected Sharklets on their A321) post MSN5514 have been delivered
new A320ceo Family jetliners. The price of with Sharklet-ready wings can and undergo
the Sharklet Retrofit is consistent with the the fitment of the wingtip device easily.
option available on brand new A320ceos. However, on A319 and A320 aircraft above
“Altogether for the Sharklet retrofit we will MSN1200 (3,500 in-service aircraft) the
equip more than 350 aircraft and this is the Sharklet retrofit is done along with a
orders we have currently and on backlog. So, wing reinforcement kit. A320ceo Family
there remains a market potential for 3500 aircraft with MSN’s below 1200 cannot be
more aircraft,” says Sebastien Caillaud, retrofitted with Sharklets. “This is because
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