Alaska Airlines Orders Blended Winglets From Aviation Partners Boeing
02 Novembre 2004 - 10:56PM
PR Newswire (US)
Alaska Airlines Orders Blended Winglets From Aviation Partners
Boeing SEATTLE, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Airlines
today announced it has ordered 25 sets of performance-enhancing
winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing. The advanced-technology
"Blended Winglets" will be installed on Alaska's Boeing Next
Generation B737-800 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2005 and
retrofitted on Boeing Next Generation 737-700 aircraft currently
operated by the airline. The agreement between Alaska and Aviation
Partners Boeing includes options to purchase additional sets of
winglets for future 737-700 and 737-800 deliveries. Retrofitting of
the airline's Boeing 737-700 fleet will be done by Goodrich
Aviation Technical Services in Everett, Wash., as the aircraft
complete routine heavy maintenance checks. Winglets on new 737-800
aircraft will be factory installed by Boeing. Blended Winglets
Technology will improve the performance and payload capability of
Alaska jets, while providing significant cost savings through
greater fuel efficiency. Winglet-equipped aircraft also are more
environmentally friendly, offering a 6.5 percent reduction in
takeoff noise and significantly reduced engine emissions. "Blended
Winglets enable us to save fuel, reduce noise, deliver better
service and reduce costs during a very challenging time for the
airline industry," said Alaska Airlines Executive Vice President of
Operations George Bagley. "With fuel prices at record highs, and
not much relief in sight, investing in Blended Winglet Technology
is a way for airlines to permanently hedge future fuel costs as
measurable fuel savings continue through the life of the aircraft,"
adds Mike Marino, CEO of Aviation Partners Boeing. Winglets save
fuel by reducing drag, which allow aircraft to fly at cruise speed
with reduced engine power. With an average annual aircraft
utilization rate of 4,000 hours, winglets are expected to reduce
the fuel burn of Alaska's Boeing 737s by 120,000 gallons, or 3.5
percent, per year. Winglets also will enhance customer service by
virtually eliminating the need for the airline to restrict
passenger loads on transcontinental flights encountering strong
headwinds. "We're very pleased that a customer in our own backyard
has chosen to adopt our Blended Winglet Technology," says Craig
McCallum, sales director of Aviation Partners Boeing. "This
important sale is yet another testimonial that Blended Winglet
Technology works." Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture
between Aviation Partners, Inc. and The Boeing Company. To learn
more about patented Blended Winglet Technology go to
http://www.aviationpartnersboeing.com/. More news and information
about Alaska Airlines can be found on the Internet at
http://www.newsroom.alaskaair.com/. DATASOURCE: Alaska Airlines
CONTACT: Lou Cancelmi, +1-206-392-5170, or Sam Sperry,
+1-206-392-5038, both of Alaska Airlines Web site:
http://www.aviationpartnersboeing.com/ Web site:
http://www.alaskaair.com/
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