Aviation Partners Boeing Confirms United Order for 767-300ER Blended Winglets

LE BOURGET, France, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) today announced that United Continental Holdings Inc., the parent company of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, has ordered Blended Winglets for its 767-300ERs.  Initial installations of the systems, on 14 aircraft, are planned to commence in early 2012. With this order, United Continental Holdings becomes APB's largest single customer having ordered more than 375 Blended Winglet systems to date.

United Airlines or Continental Airlines has either been the launch customer for, or otherwise ordered, Blended Winglets for every Boeing commercial aircraft type that APB has certified its product for – in chronological order this includes the:  757-200; 737-800; 737-700; 737-900; 737-900ER; 737-500; 737-300; 757-300 and now the 767-300ER.  APB estimates that United Continental's investment in Blended Winglets is now saving the airline approximately $200 million per year in jet fuel costs.

"The installation of winglets on our aircraft improves the fuel efficiency of our fleet," said Ron Baur, United's vice president fleet. "Fuel is our largest, most volatile expense and winglets provide a natural hedge against rising fuel costs."  

Blended Winglet technology installed on a 767-300ER reduces fuel burn by up to 500,000 gallons per aircraft per year while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 5,000 tons per year. In addition, 767-300ER Blended Winglets can extend the range of the aircraft by as much as 320 nautical miles, or increase the payload of the aircraft by as much as 16,000 pounds.  Since certification in 2009, APB has taken orders (firm and options) for over 340 767-300ER Blended Winglet systems.

"We immensely appreciate the new United's industry leading position in adopting Blended Winglet technology so aggressively," says Aviation Partners Boeing CEO John Reimers. "United is simply widening the gap between profitable innovation and mediocrity."

Over 4,200 Blended Winglet Systems are now in service with over 160 airlines in more than 80 countries. APB estimates that Blended Winglets have saved airlines worldwide more than 2.7 billion gallons of jet fuel to-date.  Aviation Partners Boeing is a Seattle based joint venture of Aviation Partners, Inc. and The Boeing Company.  

www.aviationpartnersboeing.com  Patent No. 5348253

SOURCE Aviation Partners Boeing