Airbus has produced it first new-build A320 with Sharklets – the pioneering, fuel-saving wing fins designed and made at its Filton plant.
The devices, which are attached to the single-aisle aircraft’s wing tips, reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5%, giving an annual CO2 reduction of around 700 tonnes per plane.
In total, seven new-build A320 family aircraft fitted with both CFM56 and V2500 engine types will test the production-standard wing fins.
The results of the tests will lead up to the certification of Sharklets on each combination of aircraft model and engine selection. The first member of the family to enter service with the new fins will be the CFM56-powered A320, from the fourth quarter of this year.
Sharklets are now offered as an option on new-build aircraft, and are standard on the yet-to-fly A320neo (new engine option). The fins, which are 2.5 metres tall, are specially designed for the short-haul Airbus A320 family.
