The AeroSHARK technology, developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, is gradually gaining global traction, and today its arrival in the Americas was confirmed through LATAM Airlines.
Lufthansa Technik indicated that last December, LATAM Airlines equipped a Boeing 777-300ER with the AeroSHARK film, which, thanks to its special surface structure of microscopic riblets, reduces the frictional drag on the aircraft’s skin. The surface film, applied to the fuselage and engine nacelles, mimics the optimized flow structure of shark skin. As a result, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by around one percent.
In the following months, LATAM Airlines was able to test the AeroSHARK technology in its daily operations, and after confirming the results, decided to incorporate it into four more Boeing 777s. This way, the airline will be able to save up to 2,000 metric tons of kerosene and 6,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, which, they noted, is equivalent to approximately 28 regular flights from São Paulo to Miami on a Boeing 777.
«Our fleet modernization strategy is a cornerstone of our commitment to sustainability and our vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. We remain focused on innovation and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring that our fleet evolves in line with our environmental goals,» said Sebastián Acuto, Fleet and Projects Director of LATAM Airlines Group.
Robin Johansson, Senior Sales Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Lufthansa Technik, stated, «LATAM’s decision confirms once again: AeroSHARK works. This motivates us even more to use our engineering skills and innovative strength to contribute to aviation with lower CO₂ emissions.»
«We look forward to collaborating with more customers worldwide and applying our fuel-saving shark skin technology to even more aircraft,» he concluded.
Lufthansa Technik had obtained the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from EASA for the application of AeroSHARK on Boeing 777 aircraft in December 2022. Since then, 21 aircraft from different airlines (mostly from the Lufthansa Group) have already been equipped with this technology. The company is working to apply the film to larger areas of the 777-300ER and 777F, as well as other aircraft models.
