Austrian Airlines equips four Boeing 777-200ERs with innovative sharkskin technology

Austrian Airlines completed the installation of AeroSHARK surface technology on four of its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The long-haul aircraft with the tail signs OE-LPA, OE-LPB, OE-LPC and OE-LPD are the first Boeing B777-200ER aircraft worldwide to be modified with the sharkskin technology developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF. The film significantly reduces frictional resistance and thus lowers CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of the Austrian Airlines long-haul fleet. 

The application of a total of 830 square meters of AeroSHARK film per aircraft on the fuselage and engine nacelles achieves a saving of around one percent of total fuel consumption per flight. Applied to the four Austrian Boeing 777s, the airline projects a total fuel savings of around 2,650 metric tons and a reduction of over 8,300 metric tons of CO₂ emissions by 2028. This corresponds to around 46 flights from Vienna to New York.   

Francesco Sciortino, Chief Operations Officer of Austrian Airlines commented: “With our four ‘sharkskin’ aircraft, we are connecting Austria with the world even more efficiently. This cutting-edge technology allows us to maximize the fuel efficiency of our Boeing 777-200ER fleet until their rollover – making a valuable contribution to a more sustainable future.” 

Harald Gloy, Chief Operations Officer of Lufthansa Technik said: “With Austrian Airlines, another airline has recognized and adopted the benefits of our sharkskin technology. The first four Boeing 777-200ERs are now equipped with AeroSHARK – and we hope many more will follow to further improve fleet efficiency.” 

Austrian Airlines is the first airline to apply this technology to the Boeing 777-200ER. Previously, Lufthansa Technik secured the necessary extension of the Supplemental Type Certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the use on this aircraft type.

AeroSHARK is a surface film featuring fine ribbed structures, known as riblets, that measure approximately 50 micrometers in size. These structures are designed to imitate the texture of sharkskin, improving aerodynamics in specific areas of the aircraft.