Bridgestone Corporation has announced the launch of next generation aircraft tyres for Boeing 737, which offer enhanced wear performance by optimal design. The new tyres are said to deliver added value through enhanced wear performance and were initially introduced on aircraft operated by the airlines Bridgestone collaborated with, helping improve their operational efficiency.
The company plans to expand the introduction of these tyres to airlines worldwide. Starting in 2027, tyres featuring this advanced technology are scheduled to be installed on a wide range of aircraft.
In the aviation industry, the rapid recovery in demand following the COVID-19 pandemic has led to labour shortages, making operational efficiency more critical than ever. At the same time, the industry is intensifying its sustainability efforts in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Through this development, Bridgestone has refined its technology by leveraging extensive flight data from partner airlines and its proprietary simulation technologies, conducting thorough evaluations and verifications under various conditions.
The new tyres are said to retain the high durability of Bridgestone’s current RRR (Revolutionarily Reinforced Radial) technology while significantly improving wear resistance and reducing uneven wear through a new tread compound and an optimized contact profile.
Casing durability has also been enhanced through an optimised sidewall design. In addition, by integrating advanced tire wear prediction solutions developed in collaboration with airlines and combining them with retreading, the new tyres help improve operational efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions while prioritising safety and reliability.
The new tyre features a new compound that improves carbon black reinforcement and dispersion leveraging Bridgestone’s advanced NanoPro-Tech – proprietary technology, which controls rubber molecular structures. This innovation improves wear balance during landing and taxiing, significantly enhancing overall wear performance. Compared with the previous product, the new tire delivers more than 20% more landings per tyre. For aircraft operating at high-frequencies, such as those on domestic routes, this reduces downtime associated with tyre replacement, maximises aircraft utilisation and helps lower operating costs.
As well, by combining flight data with proprietary simulation technologies, Bridgestone optimised tyre contact conditions for aircraft-specific surfaces, including runways during takeoff and landing and taxiways. This enables more uniform tire contact under a variety of conditions. As a result, irregular wear observed on certain routes has been reduced by more than 20%, lowering the risk of unplanned tyre replacements and associated flight delays.
By further optimising the sidewall design based on RRR technology, Bridgestone has enhanced tyre durability, including through retreading. Because approximately 80% of the materials in a retreaded tyre can be reused from the original new tyre, retreading helps reduce CO2 emissions at the manufacturing stage.