Lufthansa Group will pursue certification for its in-house “shark skin” – a drag-reducing aircraft coating – on the Airbus A330.
The airline conglomerate said this week that its “AeroShark” solution will be applied to an A330-300 operated by subsidiary Discover Airlines. The aircraft will undergo several weeks of testing both before and after the special coating is applied at Lufthansa Technik’s facility in Dresden.
The AeroShark film uses microscopic grooves modeled on actual shark skin to reduce drag on aircraft exteriors, which in turn lowers fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Currently, the coating is applied only to an aircraft’s fuselage and engine cowlings.
The technology was developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and Surventis, and its certification is supported by a partnership with Mastercard.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has already approved Lufthansa Group’s use of the AeroShark system on the Boeing 777-300ER, the 777-200ER, and the 777F. The process now underway would certify AeroShark for the A330-200 and -300.
“AeroShark is an excellent example of how innovations from the Lufthansa Group can make concrete contributions to greater efficiency and lower emissions,” Grazia Vittadini, chief technology officer at Lufthansa Group, said in a news release. “With the planned certification for the Airbus A330ceo, we are tapping into the potential of another significant portion of the global long-haul fleets.”
As of July, 22 Lufthansa Group long-haul aircraft were equipped with AeroShark.
Lufthansa Technik and Surventis are also working to develop a new version of the coating that can be applied to an aircraft’s wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers.
