By Skies Magazine | May 12, 2014 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 44 seconds.
WestJet has become the third Canadian Boeing 737 operator to start retrofitting its fleet of Boeing 737s with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) split scimitar winglets (SSW). Kelowna Flightcraft installed the mod on WestJet’s Boeing 737-800 C-GWRG, which entered service on May 7. Canadian authorized installation centres for the APB winglets include Aero Aviation of Calgary; Cascade Aerospace of Abbotsford, B.C.; Kelowna Flightcraft in Kelowna, B.C., and Hamilton, Ont.; and Premier Aviation of Trois Rivieres, Que., and Windsor, Ont.
Sunwing Airlines was the first Canadian operator to use the SSW, commencing service in early March. Air Transat was the second Canadian airline to introduce split scimitar winglets. The upgrade adds strengthened spars, aerodynamic ‘curved’ tips, and a large ventral fin. These features improve performance and decreases fuel burn by approximately seven per cent. “We feel we have a responsibility as a market leader in Canada to continue investing in technology which reduces our environmental impact,” said Stephen Hunter, CEO of the Sunwing Travel Group, adding, “This initiative has the added benefit of improving cost efficiency so that we can continue to provide great value for our customers’ vacation dollar.”
APB launched the split scimitar winglet program for the 737-800 early in 2013, with certification flight testing commencing in mid-2013 using a United Airlines 737-800. FAA supplemental type certification for the split scimitar system for the Boeing 737-800 was announced by APB on Feb. 6, 2014. The new scimitar winglets will be adaptable to 737-700, 737-800, 737-BBJ, 737-900 and the 737-900ER variants. Certification on all 737 types is anticipated by the first quarter of 2015. The SSW winglets are also equipped with new LED lights, as introduced on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, distinguishable as significantly brighter, with a different strobe pattern.
WestJet and Air Canada’s new generation Boeing 737MAX jets will also be factory-equipped with split scimitars when they start deliveries in 2017. APB estimates the modification has saved the airlines using the technology over 4.1 million gallons of jet fuel, translating to over 43 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
