Freighter airlines are leading the way in fitting aircraft with a new high-tech coating that mimics the structure of a shark’s skin to reduce aerodynamic drag and fuel consumption. EVA Air and All Nippon Airways recently became the first Asian carriers to equip Boeing 777 freighters with the friction-reducing AeroShark surface film, following the footsteps of Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss International Air Lines.

All Nippon Airways said it began operating its first 777 freighter with the special coating on Sunday and plans to become the first airline to operate both freighter and passenger variants of the 777 with the AeroShark technology by next spring.

Lufthansa Technik, a provider of maintenance and other technical services for commercial aircraft, developed AeroShark with German chemical and coating manufacturer BASF to address the need for more sustainable air transport. The nearly invisible coating is designed to be weather-resistant and simple to apply.

Aircraft surfaces are exposed to UV radiation as well as temperature and pressure fluctuations at high altitudes that can alter smoothness. The low-friction film consists of riblets – small protrusions measuring about 50 micrometers or 0.002 inches – that imitate the hydrodynamic properties of sharkskin and allow air to flow more smoothly over the aircraft during flight. The subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG estimates the riblet film, which is applied to most of the fuselage and engine nacelles during scheduled maintenance layovers, reduces drag by about 1%.

The sharkskin modification’s ability to reduce friction and emissions is slightly better on cargo than on passenger aircraft because the film is applied to a greater area due to the absence of windows, according to BASF.

An All Nippon Airways maintenance contractor applied the specialty film to the 777 freighter, which the airline says will reduce fuel use by 275 tons and greenhouse gas emissions by 881 tons per year. ANA said it will evaluate the real-world effectiveness of the technology in daily operations before deciding whether to expand its use to other 777 aircraft in the fleet.

Taiwan-based EVA Air has signed up to add the low-friction film to its entire fleet of nine 777 cargo jets by 2027, Lufthansa Technik announced late last month. The first aircraft was modified by EVA Air’s affiliate, Evergreen Aviation Technologies, under close supervision and is expected to reenter commercial service early this month. EVA Air expects to save more than 2,750 tons of jet fuel and about 8,600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year once the entire fleet is retrofitted.