Entire SWISS Boeing 777 fleet now equipped with CO2-reducing ‘sharkskin’ film

Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has been steadily providing its Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft fleet with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK technology since the first aircraft so equipped performed the world’s first scheduled AeroSHARK flight in October 2022. The final member of the SWISS Boeing 777 fleet, HB-JNF, received its ‘sharkskin’ film at the beginning of this month, and all 12 aircraft are now in service with the innovative new technology.

The transparent AeroSHARK film is applied to the aircraft’s fuselage and engine nacelles. With its micrometers-deep ‘riblets’ that are aligned to the direction of airflow, the film replicates the hydrodynamic skin of a shark, reducing air resistance in flight by around one per cent. As a result, even with only part of its Boeing 777 fleet equipped with the new technology, AeroSHARK lowered SWISS’s kerosene consumption last year by over 2,200 tonnes, with concomitant reductions of some 7,100 tonnes in the airline’s carbon dioxide emissions.

“We are very pleased with the results that we have achieved with AeroSHARK to date,” says Claus Bauer, SWISS’s Head of Technical Fleet Management. “We’re proud, too, to be the first airline in the world to have equipped an entire aircraft fleet with this innovative technology. Each aircraft takes about a week to have its AeroSHARK film applied, which requires high-precision workmanship from our personnel. I am delighted that our commitment to this technology is delivering such positive results, and is enabling us at SWISS to take a further substantial step in making our flight operations more sustainable.”

Possible extension to further aircraft types

The AeroSHARK aircraft skin technology has been jointly developed by Lufthansa Technik and coatings manufacturer BASF. SWISS is also considering extending its AeroSHARK application programme to further aircraft types in its long-haul fleet in the medium-term future.

Details of how the AeroSHARK film is applied to an aircraft will be found in the SWISS Magazine as well as in the video here.

About Swiss International Air Lines

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s leading air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also set itself ambitious CO2 goals and plans to halve its 2019 net CO2 emissions by 2030 and make its business and operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group, and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.