facelookbovered
We all know why airlines put winglets on and it is to save fuel.
But OilWW specifically stated that it does not increase range.
It does increase range. The fact that the extra 100nm or so doesn't take you anywhere useful is irrelevant. Winglets reduce cost and that is the main benefit.
But it is capable of flying further.
Take for example a long route.
GLA-BOS.
That 4% could well be the difference between non-stop and tech stop.
Without winglets the extra burn may mean a trade off between payload and fuel.