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By now, it is well understood that winglets are a worthwhile investment for airlines operating aircraft in the passenger aviation industry. Although the efficiency gains of such wingtip devices may seem marginal at first glance, in the race to design and build the most fuel-efficient commercial airliner, they can make all the difference, saving billions of dollars in jet fuel worldwide, according to NASA.
The 
Delta Air Lines fleet currently has more than 200 Boeing 737 family aircraft, including the 737-800 and 737-900ER, with an additional 100 737 MAX 10s on order, expected to begin delivery by 2027, according to Reuters. In 2015, Delta representatives made the decision to replace the blended winglets of the airline’s 737-800 and 737-900ER aircraft with more efficient and distinctive split scimitar winglets.
Blended Vs Split Scimitar Winglets
Winglets have been around for a long time, first appearing on a Learjet 28 in 1977, but it has not always been apparent how much of a benefit they would provide. There have been several different types of winglets used over the years, with varying shapes and aerodynamic properties, as shown below. Some perform better than others, providing improved performance and fuel economy. Several different types are listed in the table below.
As understanding of optimal aerodynamics for fuel efficiency improves, manufacturers gradually move to what works best. For example, the perpendicular and flat wingtip fences previously seen on the Airbus A320 were replaced with blended winglets in 2009, as these were found to be up to 60% more effective than their angular counterparts.
|
Type of Winglet |
Defining Features |
|---|---|
|
Canted Winglets |
Noticeably short and sloped upwards |
|
Blended Winglets |
Gently extending outwards and smoothly blending into the wing |
|
Split-scimitar Winglets |
Two curved winglets extending up and down in opposite directions |
|
Sharklets |
Like a blended winglet, but with a backwards-sloping shark-fin shape |
|
Wingtip Fences |
A flat vertical winglet extending up and down |
Split scimitar winglets are named for the curved Middle Eastern sword, extending above and below the wing, and ending in sharp points. They have been found to produce up to 5.5% fuel savings per aircraft, an improvement on the 3.3% savings provided by blended winglets. Split scimitar winglets were made available by Aviation Partners from 2014 for the 737-800 and 737-900ER, and from 2015 for the 737-700 and 737-900.
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Delta’s Dealings With Aviation Partners
Following the split scimitar winglets becoming available for 737 family aircraft, Southwest Airlines was first off the mark to order a retrofit of an airplane in its fleet, with a 737-800 from the airline making its first flight with split scimitar winglets on April 14, 2014, according to USA Today. According to a statement from the airline, the design differed from the previous blended winglet both above the wing and below, with Southwest explaining that:
“The newly designed winglet differs than those currently installed on the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737s, with aerodynamic scimitar tips and a large ventral strake on the bottom of the blended winglet structure.”
Following this, Delta began similar retrofitting efforts in 2015, installing split-scimitar winglets on its 737-900ERs to increase fuel efficiency, according to Aerospace Global News. The winglets had become available for the variant with Aviation Partners in the previous year. In 2022, Aviation Partners announced that Delta had placed more orders for split scimitar winglet retrofits, intending to outfit its fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft with them. Delta also ordered winglets for more of its newer 737-900ER aircraft.
|
Delta’s 737 Fleet (Per ch-aviation) |
||
|
737 Variant |
Delivered |
Ordered |
|
Boeing 737-800 |
77 |
– |
|
Boeing 737-900ER |
163 |
– |
|
Boeing 737 MAX 10 |
– |
100 |
According to Aerospace Global News, the order is part of a larger step towards a more sustainable future for air travel. Craig McCallum, Aviation Partners Boeing’s Senior Director of Sales & Marketing, explains that:
“The recent challenges for the industry have forced many airlines to focus on efforts other than emissions reduction and operational efficiency. Delta’s recent agreements to purchase additional APB winglet products is a clear indication of Delta Air Lines’ unwavering dedication to building a more sustainable future for air travel.”
This order for winglets may not have been just a one-off order, however. APB’s Chief Commercial Officer, Patrick LaMoria, added that the deal represented a more significant agreement with Delta, saying that “we are inspired by Delta’s ambitious sustainability goals and extremely grateful for their continued endorsement of APB products.”
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Will Delta’s 737 MAX 10s Have Split Scimitar Winglets?
Though the winglets of the 737 MAX 10 look similar to split scimitar winglets, they are slightly different, given the more acute angle of the split. These are called split-tip winglets and are newly designed for the 737 MAX. These winglets also do not have the gradual sweep from the wing to the winglet. Technically, the split scimitar winglet is exclusive to the 737 and is manufactured solely by Aviation Partners. APB is a joint venture between Boeing and Aviation Partners, which licenses blended winglet technology for use on 
Boeing aircraft.
As well as being offered as a retrofit on 737NG and older family aircraft, they are now being installed on new Boeing Business Jets, which are derived from 737NG family models. Aviation Partners also offers retrofitting winglets for the older 737 Classic aircraft, namely the 737-300 and -500 models.
Interestingly, the company also worked with Airbus from 2006 to 2011, helping to modernize the A320 family of jets. However, in 2011, Airbus revealed ‘sharklets,’ a winglet design suspiciously similar to Aviation Partners’ designs, and then filed suit seeking to invalidate Aviation Partners’ 1994 winglet patent. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Airbus settled the lawsuit in 2018 and had to make a large payment to Aviation Partners.
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The 737-10’s Delta Deliveries May Be Delayed
Delta had originally announced plans to add 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet in July 2022, with options for 30 more aircraft. While initially scheduled to begin delivery in 2025, Boeing postponed deliveries to 2026. According to Reuters, however, certification issues mean that delays may extend into 2027, per a statement made by Delta CEO Ed Bastian:
“We were already anticipating if it came in ‘25, it’d be late in the year. My guess is it will be another year or two beyond that.”
While Delta has negotiated certain protections against possible delays in its contract to buy the MAX 10, Bastian said that there are “several issues that need to be addressed” with the Boeing 737 MAX, and the company remains in ongoing discussions with Boeing about the roll-out. Each Boeing 737 MAX 10 has a list price of $135 million, so large amounts of money are at stake with the deal.
While neither Delta nor Reuters specified the reason for the delay, the latter publication has mentioned that Boeing faced increased scrutiny from the FAA following the incident when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in flight. This sparked fresh concerns about the certification of the already delayed MAX 10 model.
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Delta Begins A 737-800 Interior Upgrade With Winglet Retrofit
While Delta’s 737s will be improving on the outside, thanks to ongoing retrofitting of winglets, the airline will also be improving the interiors of its older 737-800 aircraft. Select Boeing 737-800s will have their cabins refreshed, and the airline’s newest first class seat will also be added onboard, offering customers an improved premium travel experience.
The new first class seats, which debuted in 2022 on the airline’s Airbus A321neo jets, are more comfortable and offer more privacy, additional stowage space for personal items, and a sturdier tray table. Per Business Traveller, Mauricio Parise, Delta’s Vice President of Brand Experience, said that “enhancing our aircraft interiors with select retrofits will give customers more premium options to choose from.”
Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin have also been refreshed, with improved seatback screens and lavatories with touchless features also receiving upgrades. Most importantly, at least for the airline’s bottom line, is the addition of split-scimitar winglets, which are expected to save the airline nearly 3.3 million gallons of fuel per year. This is good news for customers, particularly first class ones, due to the interior changes, but it is also good news for Aviation Partners, which will be producing more split scimitar winglets as a result.
