A330-200/300 retrofit with shark-skin film moves into final certification phase

# What's happening Lufthansa Technik is in the final certification phase with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to approve a retrofit of Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft with AeroSHARK, a surface film based on shark-skin structure. A Discover Airlines A330 has been selected as the first Airbus airframe to be equipped and will fly a series of test flights as part of the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) effort.

# Why it matters AeroSHARK is presented as a drag-reduction technology: the structured film is intended to reduce surface friction during flight, which lowers fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Lufthansa Technik previously achieved certification to apply AeroSHARK to Boeing 777-300ER, 777-200ER and 777F aircraft, and several airlines within the Lufthansa Group and beyond have already adopted it.

# What the certification covers

# Deployment so far As of August 2026, Lufthansa Group had applied AeroSHARK to 22 aircraft. Carriers that have used the film include LATAM, SWISS, Lufthansa, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and EVA Air. Lufthansa Technik has also started testing AeroSHARK on an Airbus A319 operated by Lufthansa City Airlines.

# Partnership and framing For the A330 project phase, Lufthansa Technik noted a collaboration with Mastercard. Lufthansa Group CTO Grazia Vittadini is quoted describing AeroSHARK as an example of in‑group innovation delivering efficiency and emissions reductions and said the planned certification taps into a significant portion of the global long-haul fleet.

# Scale and potential Lufthansa Technik previously pointed to the A330ceo family as having around 1,000 A330-200 and -300 aircraft in service worldwide, framing the retrofit opportunity as substantial for operational cost savings and environmental benefits. The A330 remains one of the most-delivered long-haul models and is expected to remain in service across many fleets for years.

# What comes next Airlines A330 will undergo weeks of test flights and in-service validation. If EASA grants the STC after these tests and document reviews, operators of A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft could be offered the AeroSHARK retrofit under certified approval. Continued testing on other Airbus types such as the A319 suggests Lufthansa Technik is pursuing approvals across more models.

# Bottom line This move aims to extend a retrofit approach already applied to Boeing 777 types to a widely used Airbus long-haul model. The process requires regulatory approval through EASA and demonstrated performance in flight testing before operators can deploy the film under an STC.