Japan’s largest airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is famous for its “FLYING HONU” turtle-themed Airbus A380s. The carrier has now added a new marine-inspired aircraft to its fleet. However, the new fleet addition’s features are not simply cosmetic.
The airline’s first Boeing 777 now features AeroSHARK, an innovative surface technology modeled after shark skin. The aircraft surface treatment reduces skin friction drag and improves fuel efficiency. ANA is pioneering the use of this technology on both passenger and cargo variants of the Boeing 777.
This week saw the debut of the modified Boeing 777F (JA771F) on scheduled cargo routes. ANA plans to extend this technology to a passenger aircraft (JA796A) by next spring, reinforcing its dedication to eco-friendly technologies that cut emissions.
The AeroSHARK Skin Technology
AeroSHARK, developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, is a surface film that mimics the drag-reducing properties of sharkskin. It features tiny riblets, about 50 micrometers in size.
Under Lufthansa Technik’s guidance, ANA’s maintenance partner recently applied hundreds of square meters of these riblet films to JA771F’s fuselage.
The aircraft’s first AeroSHARK-enhanced flight from Tokyo-Narita to Chicago-O’Hare took place this week. While the riblet modification is barely visible, it’s expected to yield significant fuel and emissions savings.
The modified Boeing 777F and 777-300ER will have most of their fuselage covered with this sharkskin-inspired film. Each aircraft is projected to save about 250 metric tons of fuel and 800 metric tons of CO2 annually.
Kohei Tsuji, ANA’s executive vice president of engineering and maintenance, stated, “Implementing AeroSHARK technology on our Boeing 777 fleet is a crucial step in our sustainability strategy.”
“We’re proud to be the first airline globally to use this innovative technology on both passenger and cargo versions of the Boeing 777, underscoring our commitment to excellence and environmental responsibility.”
ANA Possible Expansion of Technology
As ANA begins operating two AeroSHARK-equipped Boeing 777s, it will assess the technology’s effectiveness in daily operations, with plans to expand its use to other similar aircraft.
This initiative is part of the ANA Group’s long-term environmental strategy, which includes the “ANA Future Promise” program aimed at fostering sustainability and promoting ESG management.
Dennis Kohr, senior vice president of corporate sales Asia Pacific at Lufthansa Technik, commented, “Nature-inspired design aligns perfectly with Japanese arts and culture.”
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with All Nippon Airways to include this proven solution for reducing their carbon footprint. I’m confident AeroSHARK will support ANA in becoming an even greener ‘Inspiration of Japan’.”
Summary
Lufthansa Technik currently holds Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for AeroSHARK modifications on various Boeing 777 models. The STC modification is currently being adopted by airlines worldwide. About 20 long-haul aircraft are already using this technology in global service, with numbers steadily increasing.
BASF and Lufthansa Technik remain committed to further developing AeroSHARK to help more airlines achieve their sustainability goals.
They’re working on expanding approvals to additional aircraft types and covering larger surface areas. Initial calculations suggest that sharkskin technology could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by up to three percent in its most advanced form.
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