New look for 767-300ER

The blended winglets have become a common feature on Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft and have made their first flight on a Boeing 767.

About a month ago an American Airlines 767-300ER which was equipped with new blended winglets took off. The newly modified aircraft flew a ferry flight from Kansas City, Mo. to San Bernardino, Calif. It will undergo certification and performance flight testing over the following two months. Some American Airlines employees installed the blended winglets, together with necessary wing and aircraft systems modifications at the maintenance base in Kansas City.
The new Blended winglet will increase the payload and/or range of the aircraft which in turn will reduce maintenance costs and improve its take-off capability from difficult airports such as those in hot-and-high places and those airports that have short runways.
The blended winglets are 11-foot-tall (3.4-meters) and were manufactured for Aviation Partners Boeing by GKN Aerospace which are on the Isle of Wight in the UK.

If the FAA and the EASA certify the blended winglets, 767-300ER Aircraft would be equipped and begin revenue service in December. Currently there are over 130 systems from 10 different airlines that already have firm commitments and are currently sold out of the blended winglet system.

This new blended winglet system will save around 6.5% on fuel consumption, Which is a saving of more than 500,000 gallons of jet fuel per aircraft per year, It also translates into an annual reduction of over 5,000 tons of CO2 per aircraft.

The blended winglet already exists on Boeing 737 BBJ, 737-800, 737-700, 737-300, 757-200, 737-500, and 737-900 which is around 2,500 Boeing aircraft, And have been certified for those aircraft. They also hope to launch a blended winglet certification program for the 777-200ER later this year and anticipate certification by December 2010.