Eco-Aviation Channel

ANZ sees better-than-expected fuel savings from 767 winglets

By Geoffrey Thomas
Eco-Aviation Today, October 12, 2009, p.4

Air New Zealand is achieving an approximate 1.6% better fuel burn from its blended winglet program on its 767-300ERs than guaranteed, according to GM-Operations and Chief Pilot Dave Morgan. In a briefing in Auckland, Morgan told Eco-Aviation Today that Aviation Partners Boeing had guaranteed a 3.8% improvement and that ANZ expected to get 4.5% but is actually achieving 5.3%. "The 3.4-m.-high kinked tips will save us 1.3 million liters of fuel on each 767 and 16,000 tonnes of CO2 annually," he said. Four of the carrier's five 767-300ERs have been upgraded, with the fifth due for completion in November.

Morgan also said that ANZ has elected to focus on biofuel feedstocks other than jatropha after experiencing supply challenges with that plant. The airline conducted the world's first sustainable biofuel test flight with a Rolls-Royce-powered 747-400 on Dec. 30 with a biofuel blend of 50:50 jatropha and Jet A1. New Zealand's maritime climate will not support jatropha and Australia, which has an ideal climate for the plant, will not lift its ban, as jatropha is categorized as a noxious weed. Morgan revealed that ANZ's attention now is focused on camelina and halophytes, along with by-products from the country's massive forestry industry.

He said further that almost all the airline's flights to San Francisco are conducted as ASPIRE flights, which ANZ pioneered last year. It will commence regular ASPIRE flights to Los Angeles shortly.

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