Airbus continues evolution of A320 family with diverse winglet designs

Different types of winglets on the A320 have evolved over time. Initially equipped with wingtip fences improving cruise fuel consumption by over 1.5%, later versions tested blended winglets from 2006 onward. The Sharklet was unveiled at the November 2009 Dubai Airshow, offering a 3.5% fuel burn reduction on flights over 2,800 km.

According to Didier Lux, "Customers of new A320 Family aircraft are unanimously enthusiastic about the benefits which Sharklets already bring to their operations." The retrofit program for existing A320s became available in 2015.

FACC has manufactured over 2,000 Sharklets for Airbus as of June 2024. CEO Robert Machtlinger stated: "Producing 2,000 Sharklets for our customer Airbus is a milestone for FACC."

While older triangular wingtips may become less common due to newer designs like Sharklets produced by FACC, they still offer advantages such as resistance to ice formation disruptions and space-saving benefits.

RUAG Aerostructures continues manufacturing these devices for all A320 aircraft in operation today. Wingtip fences provide benefits compared to planes without any such features and remain cost-effective options for retrofitting older models.