Flying more sustainably with “shark skin”

An Airbus A319 of Lufthansa City Airlines is the world’s first test aircraft for a new generation of fuel-efficient AeroSHARK technology. Lufthansa Technik will test approximately 70 transparent film patches measuring 20 × 20 centimeters each on the short-haul aircraft with registration D-ABGK together with its development partner Surventis (formerly BASF Coatings) through February 2027. These material samples are attached to selected areas on the sides of the fuselage as well as on the inside and outside of the engine cowlings. Their performance will be analyzed over the next few months during regular flight operations between Munich and Hamburg and is expected to provide insights for the further development of the AeroSHARK technology. The long-term goal is to tap into additional efficiency potential in flight operations through the broader use of AeroSHARK, thereby contributing to greater sustainability in air travel.