The battle to keep airplane fuel costs low is now extending to the fight over where a patent lawsuit should be heard. In Airbus v. Aviation Partners, Airbus wants the rights to market a curved wingtip attachment that makes an airplane more fuel efficient. Aviation Partners says it has been using blended winglets on an estimated 3,500 Boeing jetliners that have enabled planes to fly further due to the technology decreasing fuel use by five to seven percent. Airbus calls its technology a \u201cSharklet\u201d and purports its design cuts fuel consumption by 3.5 percent on single-aisle jets.<\/p>\n
The dispute stems from the fact that Airbus had been discussing the designs with Aviation Partners for five years, reports the Wall Street Journal. They even had a memorandum of understanding to create a joint venture. But all the while Airbus was creating its own model to \u201ckeep its options open.\u201d When Airbus showed Aviation (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The battle to keep airplane fuel costs low is now extending to the fight over where a patent lawsuit should be heard. In Airbus v. Aviation Partners, Airbus wants the rights to market a curved wingtip attachment that makes an…<\/span><\/p>\n