Winglets tipped to save millions

FUEL EFFICENCY: Winglets were fitted by a Hong Kong aircraft engineering firm at a cost of about $4m and will pay for themselves in less than three years, the airline says.

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The first of Air New Zealand's modified Boeing 767-300ER jets has been given a new lease of life with the addition of distinctive fuel-saving winglets.

Air New Zealand's chief pilot, Captain David Morgan, said the 3.4-metre-high blended wing extensions provided about a 4 per cent improvement in fuel consumption by reducing wing tip drag. They also increased lift, allowing the plane to climb to cruising altitude faster.

Air New Zealand has five 767s with an average age of nearly 14 years. They fly to Australia and around the Pacific as far north as Honolulu.

It is estimated that when the entire fleet is fitted with the winglets by December it will save more than 6 million litres of fuel a year and reduce carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes. The winglets were fitted by a Hong Kong aircraft engineering firm at a cost of about $4m and will pay for themselves in less than three years. The aircraft were expected to remain in service for another five years.

The aircraft's cabins are also being equipped with driers, which remove about 200 kilograms of moisture from insulation behind the cabin lining.

Mr Morgan said the lower weight would save another 320,000 litres of fuel a year in the 767 fleet.

The modifications are part of Air NZ's fuel efficiency programme, which includes more accurate fuel loadings, optimised flight routes, and more use of ground power when the aircraft is landed.