A shark's skin layer looks smooth but actually has thousands of tiny scales that make it more aerodynamic when swimming in the water. This shark skin has been imitated to produce AeroSHARK, a layer of "skin" that is then placed on the ship's hull to save fuel consumption.
AeroSHARK was developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF and it is currently used on two Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777F aircraft. This aerodynamic skin layer can save fuel consumption by up to 400 tons per year and reduce carbon dioxide production by up to 1200 tons per year.
Lufthansa Cargo and SWISS have been granted permission to use AeroSHARK on their aircraft commercially by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In 2023, as many as 23 Boeing 777 aircraft belonging to these two airlines will use AeroSHARK, which will simultaneously reduce 25,000 tons of carbon footprint per year.
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