Aerodynamics
Boeing has an ongoing legacy of integrating environmental performance improvements through technology advancements. Over the past forty years, airplane noise levels have been reduced by approximately 90 percent and fuel consumption, together with carbon dioxide emissions, by 70 percent. Today, our airplanes are as fuel- and CO2-efficient as the average train and more efficient than the average car - and we're striving to do better.
On the company's newest airplane, the 787 Dreamliner, four innovative technologies--new engines, increased use of lightweight composite materials, more-efficient systems applications and modern aerodynamics--contribute to an impressive 20 percent improvement in fuel use as compared to today's similarly-sized airplanes, with an equivalent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
On the company's popular 737, advanced-technology blended winglets lower fuel burn by as much as 3.5 to 4 percent and reduce noise on takeoff and approach. The wing tip extensions also reduce emissions through lower cruise thrust. Winglets are offered on new airplanes and on a retrofit basis, providing environmental performance benefits to the existing fleet.