The maintenance division of Delta Air Lines Inc. announced on September 18 that it has inked a one-year contract with LAN Airlines to install fuel-conserving winglets and perform airframe maintenance services on a portion of the Latin American carrier's fleet.

Delta TechOps officials said the installation of wing-tip extensions, known as winglets, will help LAN reduce its fuel usage by nearly half a million tons annually, while lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 5 percent.

Delta TechOps will perform maintenance on a portion of LAN's Boeing 767 fleet.

"We are the world's largest operator of Boeing 767s, so it stands to reason that our technicians have a great deal of knowledge and expertise with this fleet," Tony Charaf, president of Delta TechOps, said in a statement. "This partnership helps further establish Delta TechOps as an industry leader for Boeing 767 winglet installations."

LAN is one of the largest Latin American-based airlines, with service to 65 destinations throughout Latin America, North America, the South Pacific and Europe.