Originally Posted by
TOWTEAMBASE
I thought the winglets were meant to be an energy saver ?
Depends on the typical mission the airline has. Winglets save fuel in the cruise but add weight, which is more important to cargo operators who tend to load up to MTOW much more than passenger operators do. So calculations are needed on whether the fuel cost saving is better than the additional cost of winglets and the impact on loading. Doesn't always come out positive for every carrier.