The Engineering Compromise Behind Every Fuel-Saving Winglet

Winglets are among the aviation industry’s most obvious fuel-saving features. Whether flying short-haul around Europe on a Ryanair Boeing 737, or venturing far further on a Qantas Airbus A350, such extensions at the end of the wings will be quietly working to cut the costs of operating the flight. Indeed, so effective are winglets at reducing fuel-burn and saving operators money that they are a common feature on both narrow and widebodies.