Delta Air Lines is exploring a “shark skin” aircraft coating designed to reduce drag by testing the technology on some of its Boeing 767s.
The Atlanta-based carrier said on 9 April that it added Australian aerospace company MicroTau to its Sustainable Skies Lab, an innovation incubator established in 2023 that has seen the airline partner with Airbus, Boeing, JetZero and Joby Aviation.
Delta says it will test MicroTau’s “shark skin riblets” by applying them to the fuselages of 767s. The treatments are expected to improve fuel efficiency by as much as 4%.
”Despite their smooth appearance, the skin of sharks is covered in a layer of microscopic grooves called dermal denticles, which help a shark swim more efficiently and expend less energy,” Delta says.
“Applying these microscopic grooves, often called riblets, to the exterior of an aircraft can reduce drag by smoothing air flow, which helps reduce fuel consumption,” it adds.
Sangita Sharma, director of the Sustainable Skies Lab, says the product is an example of an innovation that can be applied in the short-term, though the incubator also has an eye on “longer-term initiatives that will revolutionise how we think about flying for years to come”.
MicroTau’s riblet modification package has previously been applied to a US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 for testing.
The firm calls its partnership with Delta “a crucial step in proving the scalability and effectiveness of our technology within a major airline operation”.
Delta is also exploring the use of finlets – similar to those found on fish – through a partnership with Vortex Control Technologies, the airline says.
The finlets, installed on the “back of an aircraft fuselage”, are designed to reshape airflow and reduce drag. The technology will be tested on some of Delta’s 737s.
