Southwest First Airline to Fly Aero Design Lab's Drag Reduction Kit In Revenue Service

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New Drag Reduction Kit designed to reduce fuel burn rate and lower carbon emissions intensity

DALLAS, March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aero Design Labs (ADL) announced the first revenue flight with its proprietary drag reduction kit installed, has been flown on a Southwest Airlines 737-700 aircraft. Aero Design Labs founder and Executive Chairman Lee Sanders was among the Customers on the historic flight that was recently operated from Dallas to El Paso with the kit installed.

Southwest will be running a network evaluation of drag reduction kits installed on five of its 737-700 aircraft to measure fuel efficiency. ADL's drag reduction kit is designed to reduce the amount of drag on the aircraft, resulting in reduced fuel burn rate and lower carbon intensity.

"This is exciting news for our entire team at Aero Design Labs who have worked diligently over the last several years to bring this important innovation to fruition," stated Jeff Martin, Aero Design Labs President and CEO. "We are delighted that Southwest has chosen to test our kits on five of its aircraft, and we are confident they will be able to take advantage of the reduced fuel burn rate and lowered carbon emissions intensity our kits provide."

"As Southwest Airlines continues to seek opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, which reduces our carbon emissions intensity and helps us address our environmental footprint, we are partnering with ADL to test modifications to five of our 737-700s with the goal of reducing our fuel burn rate on a per aircraft basis," said Chris Monroe, Southwest's Senior Vice President of Finance, Treasury, and Sustainability. "In our constant search for new ways to operate more efficiently and safely, we look forward to this trial of ADL's innovative and proprietary drag reduction kit."

"Our work on these retrofit kits represents the first of what will be many opportunities with other aircraft types as we continue our research and development," commented Chris Jones, Aero Design Labs' Chief Commercial Officer. "Airlines the world over have expressed interest in our programs, and we are working diligently to develop modifications for numerous aircraft types. We applaud and thank Southwest for seeing the value our kits can provide."

About Aero Design Labs L.L.C.

Founded in 2015, Aero Design Labs (ADL) leads the way in the research, development and installation of drag reduction kits for airline fleets globally. ADL modifications to airlines' existing fleets can result in fuel savings and the potential for billions of pounds CO2 to be prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Media inquiries: Richard Bartrem [email protected] 

Sales inquiries:  Chris Jones [email protected] 

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.   

Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline¹. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its more than 66,000² People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among as many as 130 million Customers carried a year. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years³ of profitability for Southwest Shareholders. Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

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