Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Atlanta-based corporate flight department ordered four blended winglet shipsets from Aviation Partners to equip its Raytheon Hawker 800s–two 800SPs and two 800XP2s. The first blended winglet installation was accomplished recently at Duncan Aviation, and the remaining three shipsets will soon be installed in house.

“We studied the numbers and efficiencies and decided that installing winglets would save Coca-Cola Enterprises thousands of dollars per year in operating costs,” said Brian Ross, Coca-Cola’s director of aviation. Ross said that while blended winglets make an important contribution to the bottom line it was a broader issue that persuaded Coca-Cola Enterprises to upgrade to blended winglets. “By upgrading a straight 800A we get XP performance at a fraction of the price,” he said.

According to Ross, the economic argument for the $438,000 upgrade is a
7-percent reduction in fuel burn, 180 nm more range, 18 knots higher cruise speed at altitude and improved second-segment climb performance.