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AirTran Winglets

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Citrus531

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Posts
251
Wondered back in June of 2004 when we got our first 737 why these weren't on there? The quote I think at the time was " we just can't make the numbers work with winglets". LOL LOL


ORLANDO, Fla., Aug 25, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (AAI), today announced plans to enhance their modern and fuel efficient fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft by adding a wing feature known as Blended Winglets. The new winglet technology improves the efficiency of the wing in both takeoff and cruise contributing to an annual fuel savings of approximately 90,000 gallons of fuel per aircraft per year.

AirTran Airways has ordered winglets for 15 of its Boeing 737s leased from General Electric Commercial Aviation Service (GECAS), and has options to add winglets to future deliveries of new Boeing 737s. Installation of the winglets will begin in September and continue into early 2006.
 
Citrus531 said:
Wondered back in June of 2004 when we got our first 737 why these weren't on there? The quote I think at the time was " we just can't make the numbers work with winglets". LOL LOL


ORLANDO, Fla., Aug 25, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (AAI), today announced plans to enhance their modern and fuel efficient fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft by adding a wing feature known as Blended Winglets. The new winglet technology improves the efficiency of the wing in both takeoff and cruise contributing to an annual fuel savings of approximately 90,000 gallons of fuel per aircraft per year.

AirTran Airways has ordered winglets for 15 of its Boeing 737s leased from General Electric Commercial Aviation Service (GECAS), and has options to add winglets to future deliveries of new Boeing 737s. Installation of the winglets will begin in September and continue into early 2006.

Gee, adding winglets to enhance fuel efficiency when fuel costs are at historic highs... I am sure Einstein would be impressed!
 
Kinda like wanting to buy a hybrid car that gets a lot better mileage but costs $10,000 more than the basic model. You know it will save money in the long run, but can't afford it right now. Well now they can afford it, or at least put it up higher on the priority list of long term savings programs. I would like to know how that affects the lease, since you are improving upon something you don't own. Like building a pool at your rental house. Maybe if they lease to own they have the option to buy without including the value of the winglets, or maybe GE will drop the payments a little to subsidize the costs, knowing it will make the plane more marketable at a better rate should the lease expire.
 
I had heard that we are only putting winglets on the 737s that we will own, not the ones that we are leasing - anyone have more info on this?
 
In a conference call with JL in April, when asked about the winglets, he said that typically they look for a 1 year return on investmates. He said that the winglets would take more than 1 year to see the returns. However, he said they were rethinking the 1 year return part on the winglets since in the long run, they could save the company a ton of money! I guess its kinda hard to argue that the winglets won't work when SWA and Alaska are putting them on all there 700's!! I bet AAI will have winglets on all the 700's by the time its all said and done! Just like SWA.
 
same note as above. when the 737's were ordered the fuel prices were not nearly as high as they are now and though I do not remember the exact number of years the ROI was something like 4-7 years now with fuel flying higher than planes the ROI is something like the 1-2 year timespan.


looking forward to losing the altitude on these things I hear it is pretty fun.
 
Kinda like wanting to buy a hybrid car that gets a lot better mileage but costs $10,000 more than the basic model. You know it will save money in the long run, but can't afford it right now.
If 10,000 is an accurate amount, it would take 8.3 years to recoup if it saved you $100 a month in gas. Figure in the opportunity cost of the $10,000 you could have saved yourself, and it is much longer. And that's if it would truly save that much money per month; heck, I barely spend $80 a month on gas in my car. For my money, the basic model will work just fine!!!
 

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