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FACC equips 2,000th Airbus with Sharklets

03/07/2024

FACC equips 2,000th Airbus with Sharklets
The FACC team celebrates ongoing success with Airbus. · Photo: FACC AG

The inspiration for the Sharklets can be found in nature: In large birds such as the condor, the outer feathers bend upwards during flight, which allows them to fly more efficiently.

FACC has equipped the 2000th Airbus aircraft with Sharklets, the upwardly curved wingtips which help to significantly reduce an aircraft's fuel consumption.

By manufacturing sharklets for the Airbus A320 Family, FACC is making a significant contribution to increasing the efficiency and range of modern passenger aircraft - the use of the approximately eight feet high sharklets significantly reduces fuel consumption. The milestone Sharklet will be assembled at Airbus and will go to an airline in the Arab world.

"Producing 2,000 Sharklets for our customer Airbus is a milestone for FACC. We look forward to equipping many more Airbus aircraft with FACC Sharklets in the coming years. With over 7,000 Airbus A320 family aircraft on order by airlines, we are now continuing this success story together," says FACC CEO Robert Machtlinger.

The Sharklets manufactured at the FACC headquarter in Ried im Innkreis are delivered directly to the Airbus production lines. The parts made of high-tech composite materials consist of around 4,000 individual components and are manufactured by a team of around 100 highly specialised experts.

The Airbus A320 family is the most successful and best-selling aircraft family in the world. Thanks to its market leadership and expertise in the production of sharklets, FACC contributes to the success of this aircraft type. The model for the Sharklets can be found in nature: In large birds such as the condor, the outer feathers bend upwards during flight, which allows them to fly more efficiently. The name Sharklet is derived from the shark-fin-like shape of the component.

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