Swiss flag carrier SWISS is partnering with one of its fellow Lufthansa Group companies to cut emissions from its operations. The airline will work with Lufthansa's MRO arm, Lufthansa Technik, to apply shark skin films to all 12 of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Inspiration from nature isn't uncommon when you look at the aviation industry. Whether it's the shape of an aircraft to how they fly, you can find it if you look hard enough. Airbus is currently testing formation flight to cut emissions based on the flight pattern of birds. However, you may not expect the shark to help when it comes to sustainability.

SWISS volunteers its fleet

SWISS has volunteered its entire fleet of Boeing 777-300 aircraft to be the first passenger fleet to adopt the AeroSHARK technology that Lufthansa Technik has developed.

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SWISS has agreed to apply sharkskin technology to its entire Boeing 777-300ER fleet. Photo: Lufthansa Technik

From mid-2022, the airline will begin coating its entire fleet of a dozen 777s with what are essentially laminate panels. Lufthansa Technik will cover each aircraft with around 950 square meters of film. Adding something to an aircraft naturally increases weight. This is usually a negative effect. However, in this case, it seems as though the increase in weight will more than pay for itself.

According to Lufthansa Technik, applying the unique film to SWISS' fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft will save over 4,800 tons of jet fuel each year. This equates to an emissions saving of 15,200 tons or 1.1%. To put that into more easy-to-understand figures, this is the amount of CO2 that would be generated on around 87 flights between Zurich, Switzerland, and Mumbai, India.

Commenting on the news, Dr. Johannes Bussmann, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik, said,

"Due to the long lifecycles in our industry, we cannot only rely on new aircraft generations to reduce our environmental footprint, but also need to specifically optimize existing fleets towards sustainability. AeroSHARK makes a significant contribution to this, and I am very pleased that SWISS is leading the way."

An engineer standing near a Lufthansa Boeing 747.
Photo: Lufthansa Technik

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But how does it work?

At this point, you may be wondering exactly how the AeroSHARK film saves fuel, especially as it adds a small amount of weight. It's all to do with the surface of the film. Although invisible to the naked eye, the exposed side of the covering is littered with microscopic engravings. These engravings are roughly 50 micrometers big and are called riblets.

This is where the shark enters the equation. Flying through the air is a lot like swimming through the water. Both present resistance to the object that is moving through them. The less resistance there is, the easier it is to move the thing. Thus, less energy is used for the object's movement.

The unique grooves engraved in the film mimic the skin of a shark. The creatures have evolved to swim with minimal water resistance over millions of years. When a similar pattern is applied to aircraft, it achieves a similar effect against the air resistance experienced by the aircraft.

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The film draws inspiration from how sharks minimize water resistance. Photo: Lufthansa Technik

How is it applied to an aircraft?

Applying AeroSHARK to an aircraft is a relatively straightforward process. It is similar to using a phone screen protector. Engineers will ensure that the plane has been cleaned before the films are applied. After all, dirt trapped under the film could alter its characteristics. The film is then carefully applied to the aircraft, ensuring no bubbles form underneath the surface.

Once the film has been applied, the aircraft can just take off as usual. While the film should be hard to spot to the untrained eye, it is reportedly possible to tell if an aircraft has been treated from reasonably close range if you know what you're looking for.

Of course, an aircraft needs to be removed from the skies for an extended period for the initial application of the film. A plane on the ground isn't making money. With this in mind, SWISS will have the technology applied to aircraft while they are already scheduled to be out of action for other maintenance activities.

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The film is applied to the aircraft in a similar manner to applying a phone's screen protector. Photo: Lufthansa Techink

What other aircraft use AeroSHARK?

The AeroSHARK sharkskin layer was first applied to one of Lufthansa's Boeing 747-400 aircraft on a trial basis. At the time, only part of the fuselage was covered with the surface, but Lufthansa Technik was already able to confirm a 0.8% reduction in friction on the type.

Lufthansa Technik had intended to roll the technology out to Lufthansa's entire 747-400 fleet in March 2020. Of course, we all know that the events of that month led to the whole Lufthansa 747-400 fleet being grounded. While a few have returned to service, Lufthansa Technik had to look for another aircraft to test the skin on.

Lufthansa Cargo thus became the first major customer for the technology. The airline is set to roll out the sharkskin across the entire Boeing 777F fleet from the beginning of this year. For the cargo carrier's fleet of aircraft, the emissions saving is set to be just under 11,700 tons of CO2 a year. This is roughly equivalent to 48 flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

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Most of Lufthansa's Boeing 777Fs have been made according to the "say hello to the world" principle. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

Approval required

Lufthansa Technik has to seek approval from EASA for each aircraft type that it wishes to apply the sharkskin to. The consent required is called a Supplemental Type Certificate. Essentially, as the company is modifying the aircraft, it needs to get the film's designs, material specifications, and operations approved by aviation regulators before a plane is cleared to fly with the modification.

SWISS will temporarily provide one of its aircraft to the task of obtaining this specific Supplemental Type Certificate from EASA. However, this step only needs to be undertaken once, making the applications even more attractive for other carriers.

For the time being, it seems as though only the fuselage of the 777s will be treated with AeroSHARK. However, the company revealed that it had measured the wing of a SWISS 777 between Zurich and San Francisco in 2021 to create 3D flow models over the plane parts. Lufthansa Technik is now extending AeroSHARK to the 777's wings, potentially allowing even more fuel savings in the future.

The end goal of the MRO company is to provide its AeroSHARK product on multiple aircraft types over a maximum surface area. Should it reach this goal, Lufthansa Technik believes that it would cut CO2 emissions by around 3%.

What do you make of SWISS' decision to apply AeroSHARK to its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!