Airbus has completed the first flight test equipped with sharklet wing-tip devices on its A320 development aircraft (MSN 001) to gather data to fine-tune the aircraft’s flight laws.

Specially designed for the Airbus A320 family, the 2.5m-tall sharklets will replace the aircraft’s current wing-tip fence.

Airbus expects that the sharklets will cut fuel burn by up to 3.5% over the current configuration with wing-tip fences, and will also enhance the aircraft’s performance.

The sharklets combined with new engines will contribute to a 15% fuel saving.