- Four Austrian Boeing 777-200ERs successfully equipped with efficiency-enhancing Sharkskin surface technology from Lufthansa Technik
- Film reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions thanks to lessdrag
- Technology as Lufthansa Group flagship project for more efficient long-haul flying
After around three months, the application of the innovative AeroSHARK surface technology on a total of four Austrian Airlines Boeing 777-200ER has been successfully completed. The long-haul aircraft with the designations OE-LPA, OE-LPB, OE-LPC and OE-LPD are the first Boeing B777-200ER aircraft worldwide to be modified with the ‘sharkskin’ technology developed by Lufthansa Technik. The film’s significantly reduced drag lowers fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the Austrian Airlines long-haul fleet.
The application of a total of 830 square metres of Riblet film per aircraft on the surface of the fuselage and engine nacelles achieves a saving of around one percent of total fuel consumption per flight. Applied to the four Austrian B777s, the technology can achieve savings of around 2,650 metric tonnes of fuel and over 8,300 metric tonnes of CO2 by 2028. This corresponds to around 46 flights from Vienna to New York.
“With our four ‘sharkskin’ aircraft, we are connecting Austria with the world even more efficiently. This cutting-edge technology allows us to maximize the fuel efficiency of our Boeing 777-200ER fleet until their rollover – making a valuable contribution to a more sustainable future,” says Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino.
“With Austrian Airlines, another airline has recognised and implemented the benefits of our sharkskin technology. The first four Boeing 777-200ER have been equipped with AeroSHARK – and we hope that many more will follow to further increase the efficiency of existing fleets in flight operations,” says Harald Gloy COO at Lufthansa Technik. The AeroSHARK technology developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF uses the aerodynamic properties of sharkskin and specifically optimises the aerodynamics of the aircraft. The introduction of this innovation represents another important step on Austrian Airlines’ CO2 reduction path and underlines the Lufthansa Group’s commitment to more sustainable flying.