Air New Zealand's fuel saving winglets arrive

JOHN SELKIRK/ Dominion Post

A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY: Air New Zealand estimates the winglets on a Boeing 767-300 will save more than six million litres of fuel and 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Air New Zealand's new winglets

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An Air New Zealand jet equipped with radical looking wing attachments arrived at Auckland today.

The airline estimates the innovation on a Boeing 767-300 will save more than six million litres of fuel and 16,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The 3.4 metre high wing tips - named "blended winglets" - make the aircraft's wing more efficient by reducing drag, increasing lift and significantly improving fuel use and reducing emissions.

Air New Zealand's Captain David Morgan said they were part of turning making it the world's most environmentally sustainable airline.

"Air New Zealand has been at the forefront of finding ways to minimise our environmental impact, examining every aspect of our flight operations to reduce carbon emissions by saving fuel. "

The airline is also installing dryers on the planes which reduce moisture trapped in the insulation between the aircraft's outer-skin and the cabin lining.

They will remove around 200kg of water from each aircraft, reducing weight, fuel consumption and most importantly reducing carbon emissions.

Each passenger exhales around 100 grams of water an hour and the cold outside temperatures at altitude generate significant condensation which is retained in the aircraft insulation.

The dryers will save an additional 320,000 litres of fuel and 800 tonnes of carbon emissions annually across the fleet of five 767 aircraft," says Morgan.

- © Fairfax NZ News