SHERIDAN, WYOMING - December 4, 2025 - Vortex Control Technologies (VCT) has signed a fleet-wide retrofit agreement with Norwegian to equip all Boeing 737-800 aircraft with its patented Finlet fuel-saving modification, aligning the Nordic carrier's cost discipline with a more aggressive sustainability strategy in short- and medium-haul aviation.
Aerodynamic retrofits move from trial to fleet standard
Under the new agreement, Norwegian will install VCT Finlets across its entire 737-800 fleet, following in the footsteps of early adopters such as Avelo Airlines, SunExpress and the U.S. Air Force. The deal marks a pivot from pilot programs to full-fleet deployment, signaling growing confidence among operators that incremental aerodynamic improvements can deliver material savings at scale.
VCT Finlets are small, patented aerodynamic surfaces installed on the aft fuselage designed to optimize airflow, reduce drag and improve overall aerodynamic performance. For airlines operating high-frequency narrowbody networks, that translates into:
- Improved cruise fuel efficiency
- Extended effective range on existing aircraft
- Lower CO₂ emissions per flight without major downtime
"Norwegian has long been recognized for its focus on efficiency and sustainability," said Mark Reichin, Chief Commercial Officer of Vortex Control Technologies. "By adopting the Finlet technology across its entire 737-800 fleet, Norwegian once again demonstrates its industry leadership in reducing environmental impact and operating more smartly for the future of aviation."
Quantifying fuel burn and emissions gains
The retrofit builds on validation work carried out with Aviation Partners Boeing and in-service data from existing operators. Across typical airline operations, Finlets have demonstrated up to 1.2% cruise fuel savings, a modest-sounding figure that becomes strategically significant when multiplied across thousands of annual cycles per aircraft.
For a carrier like Norwegian, which transported 22.6 million passengers in 2024 with a fleet of 86 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft, a 1%-1.2% reduction in fuel burn can translate into:
- Multi-million-liter annual fuel savings
- Corresponding reductions in CO₂ emissions, supporting regulatory and voluntary targets
- Improved cost per available seat kilometer (CASK) without compromising schedule or capacity
VCT notes that its technologies have already saved more than 16 million liters of fuel and avoided over 43 million kilograms of CO₂ emissions across commercial and military operators, positioning Finlets as a proven, low-disruption efficiency lever.
Supporting Norwegian's decarbonization and SAF agenda
The Finlets agreement fits into Norwegian's broader sustainability roadmap, which prioritizes "flying smarter" alongside fleet modernization and increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). With aviation facing tightening climate expectations from regulators, investors and passengers, airlines are under pressure to pair long-term SAF and next-generation aircraft plans with near-term operational efficiencies.
"Flying smarter is one of the fundamental pillars of Norwegian's sustainability strategy," said Stig Patey, B737 captain and Director of Flight Efficiency at Norwegian Air Shuttle. "After analyzing the proven results from other operators, we are pleased to implement VCT's Finlets modification as another step toward a more fuel-efficient fleet while maintaining reliable, high-performance operations."
Norwegian plans to begin Finlet installations in December 2025, aligned with scheduled maintenance checks to minimize aircraft downtime. The retrofit strategy ensures that sustainability improvements are phased in with limited impact on utilization, a key consideration in low-cost and hybrid models.
Strategic value for airlines, lessors and OEM partners
For Vortex Control Technologies, the Norwegian contract strengthens its position as a specialist provider of sustainable performance upgrades for commercial and military fleets. The deal also sends a signal to lessors and OEM partners that relatively simple structural modifications can complement winglets, engine improvements and digital flight-efficiency programs in an integrated fuel strategy.
As SAF volumes scale slowly and next-generation aircraft remain years away from broad deployment, retrofitable aerodynamic solutions offer airlines an immediately deployable tool to close part of the emissions gap. For European carriers in particular-operating under ETS, CORSIA and increasingly stringent corporate climate commitments-these incremental gains are increasingly part of the core business case rather than optional extras.
To learn more about Vortex Control Technologies' Finlets and related aerodynamic solutions, visit https://www.vcteco.com.