CASE STUDY

GCR was contracted by Southwest Airlines to assess the
capabilities of eight airports in the western U.S. to accommodate the retrofitted winglets on the wings on its current and future fleet of Boeing 737-700s.

Known as blended winglets, this new addition will improve performance by extending the airplane’s range, saving fuel, lowering engine maintenance costs and reducing takeoff noise.  When on the ground, the improved aircraft pose a challenge for the airline and airports, in that they add six feet of wingspan to each aircraft.  This is particularly critical in constrained airports, which is where GCR was used.

The GCR team surveyed existing parking positions, evaluated wingtip clearances, coordinated Airport approvals, calculated new parking position survey points, and coordinated painting crews to paint new lines.  All of the work was completed ahead of schedule and under the estimated budget, and Southwest was able inaugurate service according to schedule.

Responsibilities

• Airline/Airport Liaison
• Terminal AutoCAD Work
• Site Survey Coordination
• Site Paint/Stripping Coordination