Lufthansa Group to scale up “sharkskin” surfaces for its aircraft

Lufthansa Group said on December 16 it has become the first “to equip aircraft with aerodynamic sharkskin film” by putting it on a Boeing 777 that has been in scheduled service since October. The aircraft surface “sustainability technology”, Lufthansa Group said, improves fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 emissions”. The film or foil is modelled on the microscopic layout of shark skin and “directly reduces aircraft drag”, in turn cutting fuel consumption by up to 400 tonnes a year, according to Lufthansa. After “several months” of “extensive” testing, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) gave Lufthansa Technik, which developed the