Spring Airlines (9C, Shanghai Hongqiao) will become the first Chinese carrier to retrofit its fleet of thirty-two A320-200s with Airbus's Sharklet technology. The LCC also operates a fleet of nine A320-200 (sl)s.
"Spring Airlines took delivery of its first A320 with Sharklets in September 2013. Since then the operator has been evaluating the effect of Sharklets on the operational performance of its fleet of six Sharklet-equipped A320s. Based on the proven operational advantage observed from more than 8500 accumulated flight hours, Spring Airlines has decided to select Sharklets for all its new deliveries and now has decided to expand the option to its in-service fleet," the European manufacturer said in a statement.
Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 meters tall. They offer operators up to four per cent fuel burn reduction on longer range sectors and provide the flexibility of either adding an additional 100 nautical miles range or increased payload capability of up to 450 kilograms.
