Lufthansa is pioneering a novel approach to reduce aircraft emissions by mimicking nature. The German airline is applying an artificial sharkskin-inspired film, called AeroSHARK, to some of its planes in an effort to streamline air travel and reduce fuel consumption. In aviation, where both profitability and carbon reduction are key objectives, innovations like this align the two goals. By cutting fuel usage, airlines not only lower emissions but also reduce operational costs, since jet fuel is a major expense.
AeroSHARK, developed to imitate the microstructure of sharkskin, is being fitted to 21 of Lufthansa’s aircraft, including Boeing 777-200ERs and a Boeing 747-400. This ribbed film covers nearly 9,000 square feet (830 m²) of the planes’ fuselage and engine nacelles. The film’s 50-micron riblets reduce drag by minimizing turbulence, much like sharkskin does in water. Though the drag reduction for planes is less significant than for marine animals, it still offers a fuel-saving potential of around 1 percent per flight.
While that figure may seem modest, for an airline flying long-haul routes, it translates to substantial environmental benefits. Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino highlights that, even with older aircraft nearing the end of their service life, such investments contribute meaningfully toward CO2 reduction targets. Collectively, the AeroSHARK technology is expected to prevent thousands of tons of CO2 emissions annually.
As airlines grapple with the challenges of decarbonization, every incremental improvement matters. Given that air travel accounts for about 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions—compounded by the heightened warming effects of emissions released at high altitudes—Lufthansa’s sharkskin film marks a small yet valuable step forward. In a sector where alternative fuels remain elusive, this bio-inspired solution reflects the aviation industry’s growing reliance on innovative technologies to achieve both sustainability and cost-efficiency.
