Lufthansa Technik and BASF have received a so-called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the series modification of two Boeing 777 aircraft with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK riblet films. After being awarded the STC approval, the sub-fleet-wide roll-out of this sustainability technology which is developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF can now commence at the service of the launch customers Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). The next modification layovers in Frankfurt and Zurich are already scheduled for early January 2023.
Due to its special surface structure of microscopic ribs – so-called riblets – AeroSHARK reduces the frictional resistance of the aircraft skin. As a result of this, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by around one percent. For each Boeing 777-300ER jet operated by SWISS, this means annual savings of around 400 tons of kerosene and more than 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide. The slightly shorter Boeing 777F jet saves around 370 tons of fuel and 1,170 tons of CO2 each year.