ASIM, sep 07
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, has introduced its first Boeing 777 equipped with AeroSHARK, a revolutionary surface technology inspired by shark skin that reduces drag and enhances fuel efficiency. This marks ANA as the first airline to operate both passenger and freighter variants of the Boeing 777 with this innovation. The first modified Boeing 777F (JA771F) has already begun cargo flights, with plans to extend this technology to a passenger aircraft by next spring, aligning with ANA’s commitment to reducing emissions through fuel-efficient technologies.
AeroSHARK, developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, is a functional surface film with riblets that mimic sharkskin to reduce drag. ANA’s MRO partner applied these films to the fuselage of the Boeing 777F, which has re-entered commercial service. Despite being nearly invisible, the riblet modification is expected to significantly save fuel and reduce emissions, with each modified aircraft estimated to save approximately 250 metric tons of fuel and 800 metric tons of CO2 annually. ANA’s implementation of AeroSHARK is part of its broader environmental strategy, “ANA Future Promise,” which focuses on sustainability and ESG management.
The introduction of AeroSHARK on ANA’s aircraft underscores its leadership in sustainability within the aviation industry. ANA will monitor the technology’s effectiveness and plans to expand its use across more aircraft. This initiative is part of a growing trend among global airlines adopting AeroSHARK technology, supported by Lufthansa Technik’s ongoing efforts to expand the technology’s application to more aircraft types, with potential CO2 emissions reductions of up to three percent in the future.
