Swiss will cover the fuselage of its B777s with a coating inspired by a shark’s skin to reduce the fuel consumption and carbon footprint of its flights.

15,200 tons of CO2 avoided per year

Applying 950m2 of this AeroSHARK coating to the airline’s fleet of 12 B777-300ERs should cut fuel consumption by 1.1%, or 4,800 tons, reducing CO2 emissions by 15,200 tons, the equivalent of 87 flights between Zurich and Montreal.

When nature inspires science

This is far from the first time that science has drawn inspiration from nature, particularly in the field of aeronautics, to innovate.

AeroSHARK technology was developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF using shark skin as inspiration, to create a structured film of approximately 50-micron ribs that mimics the flow-enhancing properties of shark skin, optimizing aerodynamics at relevant points on the fuselage.

Swiss was involved from the outset in the development of this technology, which will also be used on Lufthansa freighters.

Image : Swiss B777 by Lukas Wunderlich via Shutterstock

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