Airbus's first new-build A320 with the sharklet wing-tip modification has made its air show debut, three months after being rolled out at Toulouse.
The CFM International CFM56-powered twinjet, registration MSN5098, is one of the A320-family jets being used in a 600h certification flight-test programme.
Airbus is adopting a new wing production standard, equipping all new-build A320s with sharklets.
The wing-tips will be available on new-build A320s from the fourth quarter of this year and the modification will become a standard feature on the re-engined A320neo family which will enter service in 2015.
A320s have previously been fitted with wing fences but the airframer expects the sharklets to cut fuel burn by up to 3.5% on long sectors. Airbus has also been experimenting with sharklets on its first A320, the MSN1 testbed, which will eventually be retired once the A320neo emerges.
Source: Flight Daily News
