Lufthansa Technik has begun work to implement AeroShark technology on four more LATAM Boeing 777-300ER widebody jets.
The Latin American airline became the German group’s first external customer to receive the bionic surface film, known as Sharkskin, aimed at reducing fuel consumption and lowering pollutant emissions.
In December 2023, one of the ten Boeing 777-300ERs received the film on the fuselage to evaluate the technology and the practical result was a reduction in fuel consumption by 1%.
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“Our fleet modernization strategy is a cornerstone of our commitment to sustainability and our vision of achieving net zero by 2050. We remain focused on innovation and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring our fleet evolves in line with our environmental goals,” said Sebastián Acuto, Director of Fleet and Projects at LATAM Airlines Group.
Aeroshark
Aeroshark is a surface film that mimics the optimized structure of shark skin. It was developed jointly by BASF and Lufthansa Technik and features riblets measuring around 50 micrometers.
The technology enables a reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions of around 1%, thanks to the use of several hundred square meters of this film applied to the fuselage and engine nacelles, reducing drag.
For LATAM’s five Boeing 777-300ERs that will be equipped with AeroShark, this translates into an expected annual savings of up to 2,000 metric tons of kerosene and 6,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions.
That’s equivalent to approximately 28 scheduled flights from São Paulo to Miami on a Boeing 777, which is quite a lot.
“LATAM’s decision confirms once again: Aerosharkworks. This further encourages us to use our engineering skills and innovative strength to contribute to aviation with lower CO₂ emissions,” said Robin Johansson, Senior Director Sales Latin America and Caribbean at Lufthansa Technik. “We look forward to collaborating with more customers globally and applying our fuel-saving sharkskin technology to even more aircraft.”
