All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, has become the first carrier to operate both passenger and cargo versions of the Boeing 777 with AeroSHARK, a fuel-saving technology inspired by shark skin.
The first ANA aircraft equipped with the AeroSHARK modification, a Boeing 777 freighter (JA771F), began commercial service today, with plans to extend the technology to a passenger 777 (JA796A) by next spring.
Developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, AeroSHARK features microscopic riblets that reduce drag and enhance fuel efficiency. The technology is expected to save an estimated 250 metric tons of fuel and 800 metric tons of CO2 per aircraft annually.
According to the Lufthansa Technik website, AeroSHARK has already been applied to 12 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft of Swiss International Air Lines, 4 Boeing 777F of Lufthansa Cargo, and a single Boeing 747-400 aircraft of Lufthansa, as of June 2024.
The AeroSHARK technology has already logged more than 100,000 flight hours, claiming to have saved over 6,000 metric tons of jet fuel and avoided the production of at least 19,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
“The introduction of AeroSHARK technology on our Boeing 777 aircraft marks a significant milestone in our sustainability strategy,” said Kohei Tsuji, Executive Vice President at ANA. “We are proud to be the first airline to implement this innovative technology on both passenger and freighter versions of the 777.”
ANA’s move to adopt AeroSHARK aligns with the airline’s broader “ANA Future Promise” initiative aimed at reducing its carbon footprint. Lufthansa Technik, ANA’s maintenance partner, has applied the riblet film to the majority of the aircraft’s fuselage.
“What airline could be a better fit for our nature-inspired AeroSHARK than the world-famous ‘Inspiration of Japan’?” said Dennis Kohr, Lufthansa Technik’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales Asia Pacific.
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