WN orders split scimitar winglets for 738s

[700UW]

SEATTLE, Jan. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) today announced that Southwest Airlines has ordered Split Scimitar Winglets for its Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. APB's newest program is the culmination of a five-year design effort using the latest computational fluid dynamic technology to redefine the aerodynamics of the Blended Winglet into an all-new Split Scimitar Winglet. The unique feature of the Split Scimitar Winglet is that it uses the existing Blended Winglet structure, but adds new strengthened spars, aerodynamic scimitar tips, and a large ventral strake. APB looks forward to receiving FAA certification for Split Scimitar Winglets later this month.

"Having Southwest Airlines commit to our new Split Scimitar Winglet program is an incredible endorsement of both Aviation Partners Boeing and our products," said Patrick LaMoria, Aviation Partners Boeing executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "With over 10 years experience operating Blended Winglets on their entire Boeing Next-Generation 737 fleet, the upgrade to Split Scimitar Winglets was a natural next step for Southwest Airlines."

Southwest Airlines is the globally accepted model of how to successfully operate a low-cost airline. By upgrading Boeing Next-Generation 737-800s with Split Scimitar Winglets, APB estimates that Southwest will increase its annual fuel savings of approximately three percent per aircraft from Blended Winglets to approximately five percent per aircraft annually with the Split Scimitar Winglet upgrade. In addition to lowering Southwest's fuel costs, the Split Scimitar Winglet will reduce emissions, supporting Southwest's commitment to efficiency and to the Planet.

Southwest's order of 85 Split Scimitar Winglets allows the airline to retrofit the 52 Boeing 737-800s currently in its fleet, in addition to the 33 Boeing 737-800s the airline expects to be delivered in 2014. Pending FAA certification, Southwest Airlines plans to begin Split Scimitar Winglet retrofits at Aviation Technical Services, based in Everett, Wash., in the first half of 2014, with an expected completion of all retrofits by early 2015.

"Southwest Airlines is continuously searching for opportunities to reduce fuel consumption and to supplement our environmental stewardship, " said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Aviation Partners Boeing has proven to offer superior technology that performs as promised and we are excited to introduce Split Scimitar Winglets on our 737-800 aircraft in 2014."

APB's Split Scimitar Winglet program is the most successful product launch in its history. Since launching the program early last year, APB has now taken orders and options for 1,451 Split Scimitar Winglet systems. Over the last 10 years, APB has sold more than 7,000 Blended Winglet Systems. Over 5,100 Blended Winglet Systems are now in service with over 200 airlines in more than 100 countries. APB estimates that Blended Winglets have saved airlines worldwide over 4 billion gallons of jet fuel to-date.

Aviation Partners Boeing is a Seattle based joint venture of Aviation Partners, Inc. and The Boeing Company.

Aviation Partners Boeing

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

"By upgrading its 737-800 fleet with split scimitar winglets, Aviation Partners Boeing estimates Southwest will increase its annual fuel savings of about 3 percent per plane to about 5 percent per plane. In addition to lowering fuel costs, the new winglets will reduce emissions...

...Aviation Partners Boeing also estimates that Southwest will save up to 60,000 gallons of fuel per plane per year — on top of the more than 120,000 gallons of fuel saved per plane per year from blended winglets, King said. Southwest is not releasing a dollar savings from the new technology."

 

[700UW]

 

 

 

[robbedagain]

thats cool.   does that also increase the aircraft range?

 

[swamt]

Robbed, think about that for a moment.  If they save fuel consumption, then it would automatically increase range, would it not??

 

[robbedagain]

well I should of asked  how much more in mileage can they fly using that vs the current one they have 
 
sorry about that   I should of been more focused    

 

[blue collar]

I think I remember them saying it's 2% more than regular winglets (which I think was 3%)

 

[WorldTraveler]

any idea how much these cost relative to the former APB winglets?

they do look cool.

 

[swamt]

I remember reading an article with all the numbers and compared the old to the new.  I will try to find it and get back with you all.  Pretty good increase in all numbers across the board when you consider the entire fleet.   SWA employees should be able to find it on SWAlife somewhere...

 

[swamt]

WT and blue collar,   the numbers I found today are as follows, and BC is correct.  The original winglets saved 3% fuel better fuel cost per aircraft per year.  The new ones will save 2% more than the originals for a total savings of 5% overall.  These numbers will be rather large over the entire fleet.  And there will be many more airlines follow suit, as they did with the original winglets that SWA started with.  2 and 3% may not seem that much to most, but it will be huge over the entire fleet, thru-out the year and into the future years.  Every little bit counts towards the bottom line in the long run...

 

[swamt]

Anyone know or have data on how high off the ground these are?  Some are talking about poss damage from being hit while moving aircraft around.  Just curious...

 

[blue collar]

I think they hang down 3'. Haven't seen them in person yet, maybe tonight.

 

[WorldTraveler]

swamt,
at one time, it was said that winglets didn't prove their value on short flights because the extra weight cancelled the benefit of fuel savings at cruise.

Have you read anything that says at what flight distance the benefit comes and if there is a difference in that line between the older and newer APB winglets?

BTW, I enjoy these more civil interactions with you.

 

[swamt]

WT, I have no idea what length of flights do better than shorter flights.  You could be correct about the weight to distance compare but I am sure SWA has done all the comparos.
 
The reason you like the more civil interactions with me is because I have taken a pause from acting exactly like you on these threads.  As I have posted before to others on these threads, I took a turn a time back to approach you as you approach others out here and you now know how it feels.  The way I was acting before was a taste of your own medicine.  Hope you have learned from it.  Hope you got the clue.  Take it in stride and call it constructive criticism.  This interaction you have been doing is just as annoying as I have been for a little while.  Hope you learn from it and change or adjust in the future, if not I will continue to do the same as you in the future, understand???

 

[WorldTraveler]

and yet it was your reduced heat that resulted in us returning to a more cordial discussion.

IN all the heat of our discussions, you seemed repeatedly to gloss over all of the very positive things I have repeatedly said about WN and continue to believe.

Constructive criticism is realizing that we all have flaws, including companies. I believe WN and DL share the same intense competitive spirit to win in the marketplace- even if it marketplace and to engage their passengers, employees, and investors far better than their peers.

I also believe that DL and WN will be the defining forces in the industry in the next few years - esp. in light of both's ability to achieve their strategic objectives compared to their competitors.

specific to winglets, I am certain that APB and WN as well as UA have fully looked at the cost/benefit and overwhelmingly can show the product is worth it. If you have more detailed info on the economics behind them, both planned and in-service actuals for WN, feel free to always share them.

speaking of economics, you probably are aware of this article or at least the idea behind it.


Gary Kelly

Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) will freeze the size of its jet fleet through 2015, a one-year extension, as the largest discount carrier focuses on boosting its return on invested capital.

The cap goes beyond Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly’s stated goal of holding the number of planes -- now about 680 -- steady through 2014. He said in January he wants to “match and exceed” a 15 percent return that Southwest projects reaching this year after ending 2013 at 13.1 percent.

“In 2014 and 2015, the plans are for the fleet to be flat,” Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said in an interview at Southwest’s Dallas headquarters. “We should be in a position after 2015 to grow the fleet if the economics and the business are right.”

Showing a higher return on invested capital is part of Southwest’s push to broaden its appeal to investors, along with stock buybacks and the longest-running dividend among major airlines. Delta Air Lines Inc., the only other carrier in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, also has a 15 percent goal and matched that figure last year.

Keeping the fleet unchanged also raises the prospect of cutbacks among Southwest’s less-profitable flights as the airline expands its network. By the end of 2015, Southwest has said it would more than double service at Washington’s Reagan airport, add New York and Dallas flights and start international routes from Houston.



While Southwest describes the 15 percent return goal as a longstanding target, it hasn’t achieved that mark since 2000. Kelly mentioned the figure in 2008 at a transportation conference, and the airline cited it in a 2009 report to employees and investors.



-- this is key --

The arrival of larger, more-efficient jets in 2014 should increase revenue and cut operating costs, a step toward the 15 percent target, the airline has said.



With Southwest’s one-time cost advantage over larger rivals now eroding and new union contracts on the horizon, the airline needs to increase operations in larger markets that produce greater revenue, Crissey said.

“They’re going to have to pull from somewhere, reduce some frequencies,” he said

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-16/southwest-extends-fleet-cap-to-2015-to-reach-capital-goal.html