CT low-fare airline predicts it will save 560,000 gallons of fuel this year. Here’s how.
An airline operating in Connecticut is installing small “fins” on the outside of its planes to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, according to the company.
Avelo is the second airline to install the so-called Finlets, manufactured by Seattle-based Vortex Control Technologies on its fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737 jetliners, it said in a statement.
Avelo flies to 21 destinations out of Tweed New Haven Airport.
VCT Finlets are an array of fins strategically placed on the aft of the fuselage, modifying airflow and reduce drag, Avelo said in the statement.
So far, the Finlets have been installed on seven of Avelo’s 16 aircraft and the airline said the rest of the fleet will be outfitted by the end of the year.
By then, Avelo expects a savings of 11 million pounds of carbon emissions and 560,000 gallons of fuel, reducing Avelo’s total fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 1.4%, the airline said.
“We’ve set out to build a different and better kind of airline at Avelo. Investing in cost-saving innovations and technologies is a cornerstone of our business,” Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement.
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“This investment will have a meaningful reduction in our annual fuel costs, while also significantly reducing our carbon footprint. It’s a win-win for our business and the planet. VCT is a great partner, and we are proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate with them on the development and testing of this game-changing innovation,” he said.
“The FAA certification of Finlets on 737NGs is the culmination of over a decade long design effort involving wind tunnel testing, computational fluid dynamics, and comprehensive U.S. Air Force and FAA flight tests on the C-130, C-17 and 737NG aircraft,” VCT CEO Andrew G. Morgan said in a statement.
“Avelo has been a terrific partner in this endeavor, and we look forward to assisting them in achieving their sustainability goals while also reducing costs,” he said.
Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com.