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sterling cuts CO2 emissions
Does the wing of the plane you are sitting in look like it normally does? If not, it may be because it has been equipped with ‘winglets’. A winglet is a curved piece of metal that is mounted on the tip of the wing. Winglets lower fuel consumption as well as C02 emissions by a remarkable amount. Right now, Sterling is mounting new wing tips on the company’s 23 Boeing 737 aeroplanes.
This year around half of Sterling’s 737 fleet will be equipped with winglets and the rest of Sterling’s ‘new generation’ aeroplanes will follow next winter. “Unfortunately, we can’t take all our planes out of service at the same time, even though we would like to,” says Sterling’s Commercial Director Michael T. Hansen. “Planes without winglets are not the optimal solution, but we don’t want to disrupt our passengers.”
Investment in the future
“The price for mounting winglets on all our planes will be around 120 million DKK and to that we can add a similar amount for lost profits while the planes are grounded,” Michael T. Hansen explains. “It’s a lot of money, but it is also common sense at a time when focus is on the environment and oil prices keep going up. We feel confident that investing in winglets is investing in the future.”
7.5% fuel reduction
The manufacturer of winglets estimate that, on average, there is a 4%-6% fuel saving. At Sterling, measurements have shown that we have reduced fuel consumption by an impressive 7.5% so far.
“One explanation may be that we service a relatively high number of long charter routes and fewer short business routes. With winglets, you save the most fuel at cruising height, while take-off and landing are less significant. That obviously makes the duration of the flight very relevant,” says Chief Pilot Administration Peter Christian Jensen.
Fly with power steering
Both the environment and ticket prices benefit from reduced fuel consumption – but the flight itself actually also gets a little bit better. Chief Pilot Administration Peter Christian Jensen explains: “It is a little like installing power steering in a car. With winglets, the plane feels softer when the pilot turns and manoeuvres and it gives our passengers a more comfortable flight. Unfortunately, winglets do not have any effect on turbulence…”
72 hours’ hard work
It takes a specialised team of 14 men from England to mount the winglets. They work in shifts 24 hours a day. The winglets as such can be installed in a couple of hours, but the team also has to strengthen the bearing parts of the wing, because it is exposed to a heavier load with the winglets.
As a whole, the process takes three days and is followed by a number of mechanical tests, on which the authorities’ re-certification of the plane is based. All in all, the plane is grounded for a week.
FACTS ABOUT WINGLETS
On a flying aeroplane there is an ‘under pressure’ above the wing and an ‘overpressure’ under the wing. This difference in pressure ‘pulls’ the wing by the tip, and the extra resistance means extra fuel use. Winglets give a better aerodynamic at the tip of the wing and reduce the resistance. This reduces the amount of fuel needed and reduces CO2 emissions.
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