Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has unveiled EVA Air as the first Asian airline to adopt the drag-reducing AeroSHARK surface technology, developed in partnership with BASF. The Taipei-based airline has committed to modifying its entire cargo fleet of nine Boeing 777F long-range freighters with this innovative riblet film, which will cover the aircraft’s fuselage and engine nacelles. The first EVA Air freighter, registered as B-16786, has already undergone this modification at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. Guided closely by Lufthansa Technik, the work was carried out by EVA Air’s affiliate, Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation (EGAT). The aircraft is expected to return to commercial service in early September.
AeroSHARK is a functional surface film inspired by the drag-reducing structure of sharkskin. The film features ribs, known as riblets, which are around 50 micrometres in size. When applied to several hundred square metres of the fuselage and engine nacelles, the frictional resistance of the aircraft is significantly reduced, leading to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately one percent. For EVA Air’s nine 777F aircraft, this translates to annual savings of over 2,500 metric tonnes of kerosene and more than 7,800 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Lufthansa Technik currently holds supplemental type certificates (STCs) for the AeroSHARK modification of two types of Boeing 777 aircraft, and the technology is now being implemented by various airlines worldwide. In addition to EVA Air’s first freighter equipped with AeroSHARK, a growing number of aircraft globally are already benefiting from this technology, with EVA Air’s entire 777 fleet expected to be equipped by 2027.
Lufthansa Technik and BASF are committed to further advancing the AeroSHARK technology to support more airlines in achieving their sustainability goals. Current development efforts focus on securing approvals for additional aircraft types and expanding the technology’s application to larger surface areas. Initial model calculations suggest that in its fully developed form, the sharkskin technology could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by up to three percent.
