Lufthansa Cargo homes in on fuel reduction through aircraft coating

Lufthansa Cargo will coat its freighter aircraft in a surface film that can reduce fuel consumption.

The AeroShark film developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF consists of riblets measuring around 50 micrometers and optimises the aerodynamics on flow-related parts of the aircraft. 

It is to be rolled out on Lufthansa Cargo’s entire 10 freighters from the beginning of 2022.

For Lufthansa Cargo’s Boeing 777F freighters, Lufthansa Technik estimates a drag reduction of more than 1% for the fleet, which translates to annual savings of around 3,700 tons of kerosene and just under 11,700 tons of CO₂ emissions, which is the equivalent of 48 individual freight flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

“We are proud that we will now be able to operate our entire freighter fleet even more efficiently in the future thanks to sharkskin technology and reduce the carbon footprint of our modern fleet further. The investments we have made in rolling out AeroSHARK at Lufthansa Cargo consciously reaffirm our commitment to the United Nation’s sustainable development goal on climate action,” said Dorothea von Boxberg, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo.