Air NZ hopes wing tips slash fuel bill

An Air New Zealand Boeing 767 with the new winglets arriving at Auckland yesterday. Photo / Supplied

Air New Zealand hopes that new 3.4m-high wing tips on its fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft will reduce its fuel consumption by more than six million litres a year.

The airline's first 767-300ER aircraft fitted with blended winglets landed at Auckland Airport yesterday.

The blended winglets make the aircraft's wing more efficient by reducing drag, cutting fuel use and emissions.

An Air New Zealand spokesman said the blended winglets also enabled aircraft to climb faster and improved payload performance.

The airline is also installing dryers to reduce moisture trapped in the insulation between the aircraft's outer-skin and cabin lining. They will remove about 200kg of water from each aircraft, cutting weight and fuel consumption.

- NZPA