14 DAY TRIAL // As we previously reported, Airbus has long been making significant efforts towards cutting down the ecological footprint of the aviation industry, either by promoting the use of more environmentally-friendly plane fuels, or by making sure no precious resources are wasted when one aircraft is sent flying from one place to another.
Recent news on this topic informs us that, after carrying out several tests on an A320 fully equipped with innovative sharklets, engineers working with this company found that significant savings have been made in terms of fuel consumption.
More precisely, the official website for Airbus states that fuel consumption was reduced by as much as 3.5% - 4% without this having any consequences on the aircraft's ability to navigate the skies.
John Leahy, presently employed as chief operating officer for Airbus, made a case of how, “These new fuel-saving wingtip devices represent the next phase in our ongoing development of the best-selling A320 Family.”
He further explained that, “They will bring significant reduction in fuel burned: at least 3.5 per cent; in fact, our engineers are telling me that with the flight tests we're completing now, it's closer to 4 per cent.”
Moreover, these sharklets are expected to improve the plane's takeoff performance, and thus contribute even further to cutting down on the amounts of harmful emissions released by the aviation industry on a yearly basis.
In case anyone was wondering, it seems that, should all aircrafts soon be equipped with such devices, each and every one of them will cut its CO2 emission by about 1,000 tons on a yearly basis.
From where we stand, this is good news indeed, especially given the fact that air transportation is presently regarded by most people as one of the most efficient means of getting from one place to another.
Therefore, greening up this particular branch of the transportation industry stands to yield significant benefits in terms of environmental protection.