✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers
Verified codes to save on your next trip.
LATAM Airlines Group has invested in innovative technology, inspired in shark skin, that through millions of scales, allows reducing fuselage friction and thus fuel consumption.
This technology is already being used Lufthansa a whoosh Boeing 777 freighters from the 2021 and its results have been positive, which has led to more airlines becoming interested in its use.
AeroSHARK it's called technology, developed by Lufthansa technology and BASF, which will be installed on some airplanes Boeing 777 of the group LATAM and thanks to its millions of scales, will reduce fuel consumption by approximately 1% and reduce the emission of 6 thousand tons of CO2 per year, once it is installed on the designated aircraft.
LATAM will use "shark skin"
in december 2023, LATAM had its first Boeing 777-300ER equipped with Lufthansa Technik's bionic surface coating in São Paulo. Since then, The Latin American airline has been testing shark skin-inspired technology in daily operations. Given the good results, the group LATAM has decided to install this innovative technology in four more aircraft.
“Our fleet modernization strategy is a cornerstone of our commitment to sustainability and our vision of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. We remain focused on innovation and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, ensuring that our fleet evolves in line with our environmental objectives”, said Sebastian Acuto, Director of Fleet and Projects at LATAM Airlines Group.
This innovation reflects the LATAM group's continuous investment in new technologies, one of its four key areas to advance the decarbonization of aviation. The other three areas are: increased operational efficiency, Emissions offsetting and SAF adoption (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).
How AeroSHARK works
AeroSHARK is a special layer that imitates the flow-optimized structure of shark skin. Jointly developed by BASF and Lufthansa Technik, It has biometric technology that measures approximately 50 micrometers. When several hundred square meters of this coating are applied to the fuselage and engine nacelles, resistance is reduced, leading to a decrease in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately one percent. For the group's Boeing 777-300ER fleet LATAM, This translates into an expected annual savings of about 2.000 metric tons of kerosene and an approximate reduction of 6.000 tons of CO₂ emissions once all planes are equipped with the technology, which is approximately equivalent to 28 scheduled flights from São Paulo to Miami on a Boeing 777.
“The decision of the LATAM group confirms once again that AeroSHARK works. “This motivates us to continue using our engineering skills and innovative strength to contribute to aviation with lower CO₂ emissions,” said Robin Johansson., Senior Director Sales Latin America and Caribbean at Lufthansa Technik. “We look forward to collaborating with more customers globally and applying our fuel-saving sharkskin technology to even more aircraft.”
The next modification of an airplane for LATAM It is scheduled for November this year..
✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers
Search here for hotels ALL over the world at the best price.
