Seattle company, Airbus tangle in court over airliner winglets

A Seattle-based aviation company, Aviation Partners, whose major product has become a familiar sight at airports around the world has asked a Texas federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by European planemaker Airbus. That suit asks the court to invalidate patents granted Aviation Partners for its “Blended Winglet” technology. Those winglets are the curved extensions that many aircraft now sport at the end of their wings. Those winglets reduce drag, save fuel and increase the range of airliners on which they are installed. Almost all new Boeing 737s are equipped with those winglets now.