AeroSHARK, developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, mimics sharkskin to reduce friction, cutting fuel use by 1% per flight.
Lufthansa Technik, in collaboration with Austrian Airlines, is set to enhance fuel efficiency with the introduction of AeroSHARK surface film on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Starting in winter 2024, this innovative sharkskin technology will be applied to four of Austrian Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ERs, significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The AeroSHARK riblet film, developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, mimics the friction-reducing properties of sharkskin. By applying approximately 830 square meters of this advanced film to the fuselage and engine nacelles, the technology is expected to cut fuel use by about one percent per flight. Over four years, this modification will save around 2,650 metric tons of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by over 8,300 metric tons—equivalent to the carbon footprint of about 46 flights from Vienna to New York.
Francesco Sciortino, Chief Operating Officer at Austrian Airlines, said, “We take our responsibility seriously and take every possible step to reduce CO2 emissions within our flight operations. At one percent, the sharkskin’s efficiency potential may not sound like much, but in total it will save thousands of tons of CO2 per year on long-haul flights, Even though our Boeing 777-200ERs are in their final years of service, we take this investment to get one step closer to our CO2 reduction targets.”
With AeroSHARK already deployed on 17 Lufthansa Group aircraft, including models from Lufthansa Airlines, SWISS, and Lufthansa Cargo, the addition to Austrian Airlines’ fleet marks another significant step in the move toward more sustainable aviation. The retrofit of the four Boeing 777-200ERs is anticipated to be completed by March 2025.
Harald Gloy, Chief Operating Officer at Lufthansa Technik said, “The rollout of the fuel-saving sharkskin technology on another aircraft type with Austrian Airlines is great news for other Boeing 777-200ER operators as well These are the first of hopefully many more aircraft of this type that, thanks to AeroSHARK, will have lower kerosene consumption and an improved carbon footprint.”
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AeroSHARK features riblets about 50 micrometers thick, replicating the friction-reducing properties of sharkskin to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. By applying approximately 830 square meters of this riblet film to the fuselage and engine nacelles of a Boeing 777-200ER, AeroSHARK can reduce fuel consumption by about one percent per flight and significantly cut CO2 emissions.
