EASA Approves Boeing 737 Drag-Reduction Finlets

‍DALLAS — The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved the retrofit of aerodynamic drag-reducing fins, also known as "finlets," on the Boeing 737-700, -800, and -900ER aircraft. 

These finlets are designed by “Vortex Control Technologies” and are mounted on the aft fuselage of the plane to direct and manage the airflow to reduce drag produced from vortices and flow breakup. 

The retrofit is efficacious in improving fuel efficiency, yielding economic and environmentally beneficial results for operators.

Proven Performance and Wider Implementation

As reported by Flight Global, the company’s CEO, Gil Morfan, stated that this has been in the making for several years. The certification grants European Airlines access to a technology that has already been substantiated by thorough testing as well as by in-service verification among U.S. carriers. 

The company reports that the finlets offer quantifiable fuel and carbon reductions, a step towards the industry's sustainability goals.

SunExpress Pioneers EU Implementation

Although Turkey is not an EASA member state, SunExpress became the first European airline to test the technology, retrofitting the first five of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Following the successful test, the airline is now expanding the retrofit of its fleet of over 40 737-800 aircraft. 

SunExpress Chief Operations Officer Cemil Sayar explains that the program supports the airline's reduction targets for carbon emissions, as well as its focus on efficiency.

The use of finlets is an effective and affordable measure for airlines seeking incremental fuel reduction and emissions reduction without requiring fundamental structural changes. Now that EASA has certified the measure, we anticipate that other European operators will follow SunExpress's lead in fitting the technology across their fleets.