Lufthansa Technik has begun testing the next-generation AeroSHARK drag-reduction film on a Lufthansa City Airlines Airbus A319 in regular service between Munich and Hamburg. The trial uses about 70 transparent film patches on the short-haul aircraft, which is based in Munich and registered D-ABGK, while monitoring continues through February 2027.
The project extends AeroSHARK beyond long-haul operations for the first time, with Lufthansa Technik and Surventis aiming to gather durability and handling data on a single-aisle aircraft. Areas covered in the test include the engine cowlings and fuselage, while the aircraft remains in normal commercial service with only limited visible markings.
The development programme is intended to assess whether the technology can later be adapted for wings and tail surfaces, where aerodynamic loads are higher than on the fuselage. Lufthansa Group already operates 22 long-haul aircraft with AeroSHARK, a fleet that the group says saves about 19 metric tons of fuel and 60 metric tons of CO₂ a day. No fuel-saving figures have yet been released for the A319 trial.