Sharkskin System Used to Reduce Drag of 777 Cargo Jets

All Nippon Airways and EVA Air are early adopters of fuel-saving technology.

Eric Kulisch

Wednesday, September 04, 2024 at 12:49 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Airframe repair specialists apply the AeroShark technology to an All Nippon Airways 777 freighter. [Lufthansa Technik/ANA]

Key Takeaways:

Freighter airlines are pioneering the use of AeroShark, a high-tech coating developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF that mimics sharkskin to reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.
The film, which reduces drag by about 1%, is particularly effective on cargo aircraft due to the absence of windows, leading to significant annual savings in jet fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for early adopters like Lufthansa Cargo, EVA Air, and All Nippon Airways.
While initially led by cargo fleets, the technology is now being expanded to passenger Boeing 777s by airlines like Swiss and Austrian, with plans for further application to other aircraft types and surfaces to enhance environmental benefits.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Freighter airlines are leading the way in fitting aircraft with a new high-tech coating that mimics the structure of a shark’s skin to reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.

EVA Air and All Nippon Airways recently became the first Asian carriers to equip Boeing 777 freighters with the friction-reducing AeroShark surface film, following the footsteps of Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss International Air Lines.