Boeing

Boeing this week delivered to Lauda Air a new Boeing Next-Generation 737-800, the first in Austria to be equipped with winglets.

Lauda Air, a Vienna-based carrier with both charter and scheduled service, already flies two Boeing 737-800s, two 737-700s and two 737-600s and has one more Next-Generation 737 on order. The airline also operates several other Boeing models, including 767-300ERS, 777-200ERs, 737-400s and 737-300s.

"We chose to equip the 737-800 with winglets because of the increased fuel efficiency and reduced noise," said Christian Fitz, Lauda Air chief executive officer. "It's an ideal airplane for our charter flights."

Winglets are upward-swept extensions on the tips of the wings, and are capable of reducing fuel burn by up to 4 percent on flights longer than 1,850 kilometers. Besides decreasing fuel burn, winglets can increase the distance a 737-800 can fly by up to 240 kilometers (150 miles), improve takeoff performance, increase the amount of weight the airplane can carry by up to 3 metric tons (6,613 pounds), reduce noise on takeoffs and lower engine maintenance costs. Boeing developed the winglet technology in cooperation with Aviation Partners, Inc.

The 737-800 and the other new 737 models have the most advanced-design technology in the single-aisle jetliner market, with an all-new wing and updated liquid-crystal displays in the flight deck. The Lauda Air 737-800, which will seat 184 passengers, also has an interior modeled after the spacious interior of the award-winning Boeing 777.

The 737-800s are powered by new CFM56-7 engines produced by CFMI, a joint venture of Snecma of France and General Electric of the United States. The engines meet community noise restrictions well below current Stage 3 limits and below anticipated Stage 4 limits.

"The new Boeing 737s already have a reputation for environmental friendliness," said Heiner Wilkens, senior vice president and general manager of Boeing in Europe. "The takeoff benefits of winglets give 737 operators flying in and out of busy, noise-sensitive European airports even more of an environmental edge."

Lauda Air initially began operations in 1985, when it ordered its first Boeing airplane, a 737-300.