This Sharkskin technology optimizes the aircraft’s aerodynamics, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 1%. Registration B-16786 is the first of the EVA Air B777 freighters to have already undergone this comprehensive modification at the airline’s homebase at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. Eight other freighters will successively follow.
The lower the frictional resistance of an aircraft in the air, the lower the fuel burn. EVA Air is now putting this age-old insight into practice, as AeroSHARK (brand name) provides the ultimate answer to improving the aerodynamics of current aircraft variants.
Small measure, great effect
The eco-friendly solution was jointly developed at the beginning of this decade by chemical giant BASF and Lufthansa Technik (LHT). It was first launched in the fall of 2022, when a passenger B777-300ER of Swiss International Air Lines took to the air, coated with the riblet foils. By MAY24, Swiss’ entire fleet of B777-300ER had been modified with the new technology. Austrian Airlines, too, published a press release this week stating that it will be the first airline in the world to equip its fleet of four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with the innovative surface technology from DEC24 onwards. The film significantly reduces frictional resistance, leading to lower CO2 emissions.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa Cargo has coated five of its twelve B777 Triple Seven freighters with the foil and will continue doing so until the entire fleet is modified. At AeroLogic, a 50/50 DHL and LHC JV, management has not yet decided if and when the aircraft will be equipped with the sharkskin technology.
Savings of over 8000 tons of CO2
On the freighter side, Lufthansa Cargo began modifying its first B777F with the Lufthansa Technik/ BASF sharkskin, in FEB23. In its press release, the carrier announced that its entire freighter fleet will have been equipped with Sharkskin riblets by 2027. When the release was published, CEO Ashwin Bhat received angry calls from people complaining that sharks were being killed so that their skin could be stretched over the carrier’s aircraft to reduce drag. “This example shows that we need to communicate our measures to protect the environment much more clearly to the public,” was his takeaway from the shitstorm.
Win, win, win situation
If several hundred square meters of the fuselage and engine nacelles are covered with the foil, the frictional resistance of the aircraft is reduced so significantly that fuel consumption and the resulting CO2 emissions are greatly lowered, improving the environmental footprint of any given airline. Extrapolated to EVA Air’s nine 777F aircraft, this translates into annual savings of 2,500+ metric tons of kerosene and more than 7,800 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
“EVA Air is continually progressing towards its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, constantly seeking the latest technologies to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Albert Liao, Executive Vice President Corporate Planning Division at EVA Air. The executive went on to say: “We are delighted to collaborate with Lufthansa Technik in applying the fuel-saving AeroSHARK surface technology to our 777F freighters. […] EVA Air will continuously monitor the actual fuel-saving benefits and further evaluate additional aircraft to be equipped with this technology.” According to the airline, all nine Triple Seven freighters will be sporting the sharkskin foil by 2027.
Inspired by nature
“EVA Air is well known for both its pioneering spirit and its technical expertise; hence we are all the more pleased that we succeeded in convincing them about the benefits of AeroSHARK, the world’s most advanced sharkskin product for the commercial aviation industry,” said Dr. Wassef Ayadi, Senior Director Customer Relations OEM & Special Engineering Services at Lufthansa Technik. “We are proud that with AeroSHARK, we can provide international pioneers like EVA Air with a real quick-win measure to reduce the environmental footprint of their operations.”
The development of the product was inspired by nature. The surface structure consisting of riblets measuring around 50 micrometers, imitates the properties of sharkskin and therefore optimizes the aerodynamics on flow-related parts of the aircraft.
EASA certified
Exterior surfaces used in aviation are exposed to factors such as strong UV radiation as well as temperature and pressure fluctuations at high altitudes, among others. BASF and Lufthansa Technik have therefore focused the sharkskin development on achieving extreme durability and weather resistance. The key criteria for use in aviation operation include simple application and handling, as well as ease-of-repair. Prior to the products launch in 2022, Lufthansa Technik obtained a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the 777F from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is required for operation.
