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– First Southwest airline to fly Aero Design Lab’s drag reduction kit in revenue service
New drag reduction kit designed to reduce the rate of fuel consumption and decrease the intensity of carbon emissions
DALLAS, March 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Aero Design Labs (ADL) announced that the first commercial flight with its proprietary drag reduction kit installed was flown on a Southwest Airlines 737-700 aircraft. Aero Design Labs founder and CEO Lee Sanders was among the customers on the historic flight recently operated from Dallas to El Paso with the kit installed.
Southwest will conduct an evaluation of the network of drag reduction kits installed on five of its 737-700 aircraft to measure fuel efficiency. ADL’s Drag Reduction Kit is designed to reduce the amount of drag on the aircraft, resulting in a reduced fuel burn rate and lower carbon intensity.
“This is exciting news for our entire team at Aero Design Labs, who have worked diligently over the past several years to bring this important innovation to life,” said Jeff Martin, President and CEO of Aero Design Labs. “We are delighted that Southwest has chosen to test our kits on five of their aircraft, and we are confident they will be able to take advantage of the reduced fuel burn rate and reduced carbon intensity that our kits offer.”
“As Southwest Airlines continues to seek opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, which reduces our carbon intensity and helps us address our environmental footprint, we partnered with ADL to test modifications on five of our 737-700s with goal of lowering our fuel burn rate per aircraft,” said Chris Monroe, Southwest’s senior vice president of Finance, Treasury and Sustainability. “In our constant search for new ways to operate more efficiently and safely, we look forward to this trial of ADL’s innovative and patented drag reduction kit.”
“Our work on these upgrade kits represents the first of many opportunities with other aircraft types as we continue our research and development,” said Chris Jones, commercial director of Aero Design Labs. “Airlines from around the world have expressed interest in our programs and are working diligently to develop modifications for numerous types of aircraft. We applaud and thank Southwest for seeing the value our kits can provide.”
About Aero Design Labs L.L.C.
Founded in 2015, Aero Design Labs (ADL) leads the research, development and installation of drag reduction kits for airline fleets worldwide. ADL’s modifications to existing airline fleets can result in fuel savings and prevent billions of pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Media inquiries: Richard Bartrem richard.bartrem@aerodesignlabs.com
Sales inquiries: Chris Jones chris.Jones@aerodesignlabs.com
About Southwest Airlines Co.
Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world’s most admired and awarded airlines, offering its unique value and hospitality at 121 airports in 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, low-cost air travel and now carries more passengers nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Headquartered in Dallas and famous for an employee-first corporate culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of involuntary absences or terminations in its history. By training its more than 66,0002 people to provide unparalleled hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes passionate loyalty among up to 130 million customers carried annually. That formula for success has brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability to Southwest shareholders. Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world, including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the heart of its success. Learn more by visiting southwest.com/citizenship.
1) Most recent US Department of Transportation report of Domestic Origin Passengers Boarded
2) Full-time active employees – equivalent
3) Annual profitability 1973-2019
Media Contacts: Visit the Southwest Newsroom at swamedia.com for media assets and other Company news.
Media Relations Team: (214) 792-4847, option 1
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