Air Berlin, the second largest German airline, is increasing the range of its newly delivered Boeing 737-800s.
This has been made possible by equipping the aircraft with Boeing's short-field performance enhancement. Modified wing flaps and further system optimisations allow the planes to take off with a greater weight on board, and now they can carry up to two and a half tons more fuel.
The new Boeings are to be used primarily at the airports of Dortmund, Münster/Osnabrück and Paderborn/Lippstadt, which have relatively short runways. Aircraft with short-field performance enhancement no longer have to make refuelling stops on longer flights to the Canary Islands. As a result the fuel consumption on these routes is optimised and emissions are reduced.
Air Berlin is currently the only German airline to operate aircraft equipped with the short-field performance enhancement package.
The first Boeing 737-800 enhanced in this way and with the identification marking D-ABKD has been delivered to Air Berlin on February 18.
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