The European airworthiness authority EASA has certified Airbus’s ‘Sharklet’ wingtip fuel-saving devices on the A320 Family with CFM56 engines.
The approval follows 600 hours of flight testing during a 10-month program, while US FAA certification of the ‘Sharklets’ is expected imminently.Certification of IAE V2500 powered variants is to follow.
Airbus projects each A320 fitted with the 2.4-metre Sharklets will reduce emissions by approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO2 a year. In addition to fuel savings, range will be extended by 100nm and payload increased by up to 450kg.
The devices will be fitted during final assembly at Airbus’s Toulouse, Hamburg, Tianjin and forthcoming Alabama final assembly lines.
