HAMBURG- Over the past year and a half, SWISS (LX) has outfitted its entire Boeing 777-300ER fleet with Sharkskin technology developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF.
The AeroSHARK surface film, inspired by the flow-enhancing properties of sharkskin, is applied to the fuselage and engine nacelles, reducing drag during flight. This innovation leads to lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
SWISS Boeing 777 with AeroSHARK
All twelve modified Boeing 777 aircraft have been in service with SWISS since this month, marking the first time an entire long-haul Boeing fleet has been optimized with this new technology.
Since the world’s first AeroSHARK scheduled flight in October 2022, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has equipped all its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with this fuel-saving technology.
AeroSHARK features a special surface structure of fine riblets, about 50 micrometers thick, which optimizes the aircraft’s aerodynamics and reduces drag by around one percent. This results in lower fuel consumption and emissions. In 2023, the upgraded fleet saved over 2,200 tons of kerosene and approximately 7,100 metric tons of CO₂.
The last remaining aircraft registered HB-JNF, was fitted with AeroSHARK in early May 2024, completing the modification of all SWISS Boeing 777s.
“We are very pleased with the results we have achieved with AeroSHARK so far,” says Claus Bauer, SWISS’s Head of Technical Fleet Management.
“We are proud to be the first airline in the world to have equipped an entire aircraft fleet with this innovative technology. Each aircraft takes about a week to apply the AeroSHARK film, which requires high-precision workmanship from our personnel. I am delighted that our commitment to this technology is delivering such positive results and enabling us at SWISS to make a substantial step towards more sustainable flight operations.”
New Technology to Reduce Emissions
“Equipping the entire SWISS Boeing 777 fleet with AeroSHARK is a significant step towards reducing emissions in aviation. Even seemingly small technical innovations can significantly impact CO₂ emissions reduction during flights,” says Sören Stark, CEO of Lufthansa Technik.
“The fuel-saving benefits of the bionic film have been validated over more than 60,000 flight hours with SWISS alone. This achievement is the result of diligent work, intensive research, and a strong partnership between Lufthansa Technik and BASF. We are proud of this progress and are committed to actively contributing to the transformation of aviation.”
The development and implementation of AeroSHARK followed years of research by Lufthansa Technik and BASF. In late 2022, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved Lufthansa Technik’s series conversion of two Boeing 777 aircraft types with AeroSHARK after a thorough evaluation process.
So far, 17 Lufthansa Group aircraft have been equipped with AeroSHARK, with more to follow. Lufthansa Technik and BASF plan to expand AeroSHARK to other aircraft types and larger surface areas to help airlines worldwide meet their emission reduction goals.
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