Photo: Lufthansa Group The Airbus A330 is set to receive a high-tech surface treatment inspired by shark skin , with a Discover Airlines aircraft becoming the first Airbus aircraft worldwide to be equipped with AeroSHARK for flight testing.
Photo: Lufthansa GroupLufthansa Technik entered the final phase of the certification process for AeroSHARK on the Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 at the end of August. A Discover Airlines A330-300 will undergo test flights before and after the modification at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden over several weeks.
The technology uses a special film covered with microscopic grooves modeled on the structure of shark skin. Known as riblets, the tiny grooves are aligned with the airflow and are designed to reduce friction and drag during flight.
Photo: Lufthansa GroupAeroSHARK is currently certified for the Boeing 777F, 777-300ER and 777-200ER. The A330 certification would extend the technology to another major long-haul aircraft family. Lufthansa Group describes the A330 as the world's second-most delivered long-haul aircraft model, making it a significant target for the technology.
According to Lufthansa Group, AeroSHARK can currently reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by around 1%. As of August 2026, 22 Lufthansa Group aircraft had already been equipped with the technology. The group says those aircraft collectively save around 19 tons of kerosene and 60 tons of CO₂ every day.
Photo: Lufthansa GroupThe A330 project is being carried out as part of the certification process with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. It includes technical documentation, ground and flight testing and final validation during normal operations.
Mastercard is supporting the current project phase through its strategic partnership with the Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa Technik and Discover Airlines are working on the testing, while Lufthansa Technik and Surventis developed the AeroSHARK technology.
Photo: Lufthansa GroupThe companies are also looking beyond the A330. Lufthansa Technik and Surventis are developing a next generation of the material that could be applied to additional aircraft surfaces, including wings and tail surfaces . Expanding the technology beyond the fuselage and engine cowls could potentially double its savings potential.
If certification is completed, AeroSHARK could give airlines another way to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from existing long-haul aircraft without replacing them with new-generation jets.