Airbus has finished building its first new A320 aircraft fitted with its ‘Sharklet’ wing-tip devices.
The aircraft – the 5,098th A320 produced to date – is one of seven jets that will participate in the certification test campaign for the Sharklets which begins next month.
Sharklets are offered as an option on all A320s currently in production, with the first aircraft scheduled to enter airline service in the fourth quarter of 2012. The wing-tip devices will be standard on Airbus’ new A320neo aircraft.
A blended extension of the wing, a Sharklet is intended to reduce drag. Sized at approximately 2.5 metres tall, Sharklets will reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5%, resulting in an annual CO2 reduction of some 700 tonnes per aircraft.
