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Boeing this week delivered to Lauda Air a new Boeing Next-Generation 737-800, the
first in Austria to be equipped with winglets.
Lauda Air, a Vienna-based carrier with both charter and scheduled
service, already flies two Boeing 737-800s, two 737-700s and two 737-600s and has one more
Next-Generation 737 on order. The airline also operates several other Boeing models,
including 767-300ERS, 777-200ERs, 737-400s and 737-300s.
"We chose to equip the 737-800 with winglets because of the increased
fuel efficiency and reduced noise," said Christian Fitz, Lauda Air
chief executive officer. "It’s an ideal airplane for our charter
flights."
Winglets are upward-swept extensions on the tips of the wings, and
are capable of reducing fuel burn by up to 4 percent on flights
longer than 1,850 kilometers.
Besides decreasing fuel burn, winglets can increase the distance a
737-800 can fly by up to 240 kilometers (150 miles), improve takeoff
performance, increase the amount of weight the airplane can carry by
up to 3 metric tons (6,613 pounds), reduce noise on takeoffs and
lower engine maintenance costs. Boeing developed the winglet technology in cooperation with Aviation Partners, Inc.
The 737-800 and the other new 737 models have the most advanced-design technology
in the single-aisle jetliner market, with an all-new wing and updated liquid-crystal displays
in the flight deck. The Lauda Air 737-800, which will seat 184 passengers, also has an
interior modeled after the spacious interior of the award-winning
Boeing 777.
The 737-800s are powered by new CFM56-7 engines produced by CFMI, a
joint venture of Snecma of France and General Electric of the United
States. The engines meet community noise restrictions well below
current Stage 3 limits and below anticipated Stage 4 limits.
"The new Boeing 737s already have a reputation for environmental
friendliness," said Heiner Wilkens, senior vice president and general
manager of Boeing in Europe.
"The takeoff benefits of winglets give 737 operators flying in and
out of busy, noise-sensitive European airports even more of an
environmental edge."
Lauda Air initially began operations in 1985, when it ordered its
first Boeing airplane, a 737-300. |
