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 leading the adoption of AeroShark, a high-tech coating mimicking sharkskin, to reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption.
Developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, this innovative film creates small riblets on aircraft surfaces, reducing drag by approximately 1 percent.
Airlines like Lufthansa Cargo, EVA Air, and All Nippon Airways are implementing AeroShark on their Boeing 777 freighters and passenger jets, projecting significant annual savings in jet fuel and CO2 emissions.

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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.