Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Etihad Airways to equip A320 fleet with "Sharklets"

Etihad Airways placed an order with Airbus to equip 17 A320s on order with 2.5 meter-tall sharklets. The aircraft are part of an order for 20, with deliveries that began in the fourth-quarter 2011. Etihad Airways expects delivery of the sharklet-equipped A320s to begin in the third-quarter 2013.

The devices are offered as an option on new-build aircraft beginning at the end of 2012 and are expected to result in approximately 3.5% reduced fuel burn over longer sectors.

“In today’s climate, our airline is fully focused on maximizing the environmental efficiency of the entire fleet,” Etihad Airways president and CEO James Hogan said.

The carrier operates a fleet of 50 Airbus passenger aircraft (17 A320 family, 33 A330/A340 family) and two A330-200 freighter aircraft.

(Christine Boynton - ATWOnline News)

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