Increased engine washing leads to a significant cut in fuel consumption and emissions for Finnair
Finnair MD-11
Fri 4 July 2008 – By washing its engines more frequently, Finnair has managed to reduce aircraft fuel consumption between one and two percent, leading to annual savings of over one million euros. A clean and well-maintained engine is at its most efficient and therefore uses less fuel causing fewer emissions, says the airline.
“We nowadays use a water and ethanol mixture when washing engines in the winter and this enables us to wash them even at temperatures slightly below zero degrees Celsius,” says Tuomo Karhumäki, Vice President of the Finnair Technical Services Engine Department. “Thanks to this, we have been able to increase the number of engine washes that have helped to create the savings.”
Air pollutants also stick to the engine compressors, which has led to the engines of Finnair’s MD-11 long-haul aircraft being washed more often than previously. De- and anti-icing fluids are sucked into the engines on the tarmac or when taxiing, highlighting the need for engine washes during the winter.
