We make flying more sustainable

The world's first cargo aircraft modified with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK surface technology entered scheduled service in Frankfurt early this morning. After SWISS has been transporting passengers since October with the first Boeing 777-300ER modified in this way, Lufthansa Cargo is now premiering this technology in airfreight with their first 777F. The modification, jointly developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, enables both types of Boeing 777 to achieve fuel and emissions savings in the order of one percent.

At around 5:00 a.m., the first modified B777F, registered D-ALFA and with flight number LH8410, took off on its premiere flight from Frankfurt to Bengaluru in India, from where it will subsequently fly on to Chengdu in China. The AeroSHARK modification was carried out in mid-January as part of a scheduled maintenance layover for the freighter and was completed well before its end. Now that maintenance has also been completed, the aircraft has returned to active service.

AeroSHARK is a surface film that mimics the microscopic structure of shark skin. It consists of ribs around 50 micrometers in size - the so-called riblets. If the airflow on the fuselage and engine nacelles of the Boeing 777F is optimized in this way, significant fuel savings can be achieved. For Lufthansa Cargo's aircraft, Lufthansa Technik estimates fuel savings of about one percent. Extrapolated to Lufthansa Cargo's entire 777 fleet, this will result in annual savings of more than 4,000 metric tons of kerosene and nearly 13,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to approximately 53 one-way/direct cargo flights from Frankfurt to Shanghai.

"We are proud to be able to operate our entire freighter fleet even more efficiently in the future thanks to sharkskin technology and to further reduce the carbon footprint of our modern fleet. Our investments for the introduction of AeroSHARK bring us closer to our goal of being 100 percent CO₂ neutral in the air by 2050; on the ground, we would like to achieve this goal as early as 2030," explains Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairwoman of the Executive Board and CEO of Lufthansa Cargo.

Gradually, the AeroSHARK modification will now be used on Lufthansa Cargo's entire 777 freighter fleet to make these eleven aircraft more fuel-efficient and lower in emissions. SWISS is also having its entire subfleet of twelve Boeing 777-300ERs modified with AeroSHARK. Here, the second and third aircraft have already been modified and will soon be back in scheduled service.

In December of last year, Lufthansa Technik obtained a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for two types of Boeing 777, paving the way for the serial application of AeroSHARK to the 777 fleets of the launch customers, which has now begun.

Lufthansa Technik and BASF also intend to systematically develop AeroSHARK for additional aircraft types and larger surface areas to support airlines around the world even better in achieving their emissions targets. In initial model calculations, the sharkskin technology in its maximum expansion stage could even avoid CO₂ emissions in the order of up to three percent.

Lufthansa Technik AG is to perform extensive base maintenance services for the Norway based airline FLYR AS on Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737-800 aircraft. Starting in January, Lufthansa Technik Budapest will perform scheduled base checks on the start-up airline's fleet. 

"Lufthansa Technik has supported us with component service and been a reliable partner since the start in 2021," says Magnus Wannebo, Technical Director at FLYR. "We are very confident that the good support and cooperation will continue as we start our first heavy maintenance checks." 

The first layover has already begun at Lufthansa Technik Budapest. "FLYR is building a state-of-the-art fleet with the Boeing 737-800s and especially the 737 MAX," says Tanja Pustolla, Sales Manager at Lufthansa Technik. "Our team in Budapest prepared early for the first Boeing 737 MAX base maintenance events and, as a competence center, is now particularly looking forward to FLYR's fleet." 

With its entire fleet, FLYR has already been a Total Component Services customer of Lufthansa Technik since the airline was founded in 2021. The now expanded cooperation with the young airline extends Lufthansa Technik's activities in Northern Europe and the company's strong market presence in Norway. 

Lufthansa Technik AG and Air France S.A. recently signed a long-term agreement for the technical support of auxiliary power units (APUs) of the French airline's entire Airbus A350 fleet. Over the next six years Lufthansa Technik will provide extensive MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services for the Honeywell HGT1700 APUs at its Hamburg site.

Lufthansa Technik has long been certified by the manufacturer Honeywell as an official partner for MRO of the HGT1700 and as an official warranty station for this APU type. The services for Air France cover a large part of the service portfolio, such as tests, repairs and overhauls, replacement of line replaceable units and life-limited parts as well as AOG (Aircraft On Ground) support and engineering services. Both labor and materials are billed on a "not-to-exceed" model, allowing Air France to exercise full cost control over the agreed services at all times.

"Flying our A350s in the best operational conditions is a priority for the satisfaction of our passengers," said Géry Mortreux, Executive Vice President Air France Industries. "We know that we can rely on Lufthansa Technik's exclusive solution and expertise to support the HGT1700 APUs equipping the new Airbus wide-body aircraft. We have every confidence in their ability to deliver the high level of service we expect."

"We are delighted to expand our relationship with Air France and honored to support the APUs of its most advanced long-haul fleet," said Daniel Hepworth, Senior Director Corporate Sales Europe at Lufthansa Technik. "We continue to focus our service portfolio on the latest aircraft and engine types. Our APU shop is a world leader and already has a wealth of experience with the HGT1700. We really appreciate working with our partners at Air France. Together we will translate this accumulated expertise into the shortest possible turnaround times and best possible service levels for them, as we do for all our customers worldwide."

Lufthansa Technik takes the next step to build the digital MRO powerhouse: Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND) now is a 100% subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik. This is a further step in driving the digital transformation of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of aircraft. Not only will the expertise of more than 2,300 digital experts be incorporated into Lufthansa Technik's projects, but LHIND's growth with customers from various industries will also continue. With the closer integration, Lufthansa Technik will be able to provide even more digital services in addition to the recently announced Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem. Most recently, Lufthansa Technik had already announced the acquisition of AMOS, the leading software for the technical support of aircraft.

With the acquisition of LHIND, the digital transformation of the MRO industry has taken another major step: The IT experts will work even more closely with Lufthansa Technik on the digitization of core MRO processes, with the aim of improving products with faster turnaround times and competitive prices for customers. Furthermore, the expanded collaboration with LHIND will enable additional services related to Lufthansa Technik's Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem, which gives access to nearly the whole tech ops data stream. This enables a wide range of unprecedented digital analytics in the technical operations process. LHIND already supports the main players of the ecosystem AVIATAR, AMOS, and flydocs and will, for example, further expand its services such as the implementation and integration of the aforementioned systems at customers.

"With LHIND's highly specialized and dedicated colleagues at our side, we are getting ever closer to our strategic goal of leading the digital transformation of the MRO industry. On the one hand, no other IT service provider understands us as well as LHIND, and on the other hand, we benefit enormously from the knowledge transfer that LHIND can provide, as they are active in many different industries," says Dr. William Willms, CFO of Lufthansa Technik. "MRO IT services and digitalization will be a focus growth field for Lufthansa Technik in the coming years, with further complementary add-ons to follow."

LHIND will remain an independent entity with its own management and market presence. The company will likewise continue to grow with companies outside the aviation industry, thus expanding its strong position in the market as one of the largest IT service providers in Germany. In addition, LHIND's strategic direction will be supported to achieve double-digit percentage growth in the coming years.

"We are pleased to be moving even closer to Lufthansa Technik. The clear commitment to give us space and resources for further growth creates scope for innovation and, above all, room for 'big moves', i.e. major entrepreneurial projects or ventures in future fields such as digitalization or sustainability," says Joern Messner, CEO of LHIND.

Lufthansa Technik creates a Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem by incorporating Swiss AviationSoftware Ltd. (Swiss-AS) to lead the digital transformation of the aviation industry in technical asset operation. Swiss-AS, the developer of the world-leading M&E/MRO software AMOS, is joining Lufthansa Technik Group. By bringing together AMOS with AVIATAR, the independent platform for Data & Analytics Solutions, and flydocs, the provider of Digital Records & Asset Solutions, under one roof, Lufthansa Technik can now offer an unprecedented digital coverage of the tech-ops value stream: These three solutions are the pillars of the Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem that will create additional value for customers using a customer-centric and collaborative approach.  

The three entities remain independent but will enhance collaboration and join forces by connecting the dots between the modularly designed solutions. For the first time there will be comprehensive data coverage along the entire value stream in technical operations. This data, combined with the digital know-how in all three independent solution providers as well as Lufthansa Technik's engineering expertise will result in completely new offerings, accelerated digitalization and added value for customers. As a result, the Ecosystem will reduce MRO costs, enhance process efficiency, increase operational stability and aircraft availability and also optimize asset values.  

The Ecosystem has five principles that will benefit the customers: it is open to collaborate and link with customers or external digital solutions, modular to make individual use of parts feasible and it is neutral, meaning, that a customer stays independent of OEMs and MROs. It is also secure, granting customers full control and ownership of their data. Last but not least, the Ecosystem will be seamless to ensure a consistent workflow and data access across solutions.  

"We are happy to welcome our experienced and successful colleagues of Swiss-AS to the Lufthansa Technik Group. It makes us proud that the world's leading M&E/MRO software AMOS becomes a core part of our strategic focus on digital solutions. From now on, AMOS together with AVIATAR and flydocs form the new Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem. By joining forces we are sending a clear signal that we are dedicated to driving digitalization along the entire tech ops value stream for the benefit of and together with our customers," says Dr. William Willms, CFO of Lufthansa Technik.  

"We are convinced that AMOS, as a centerpiece of the neutral and independent Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem, can expand its strengths even better together with Lufthansa Technik and its digital Tech Ops solutions. There is great potential for AMOS on its own, but even more so in combination with AVIATAR and flydocs, " says Dr. Claus Bauer, VP Technical Fleet Management of SWISS, the current shareholder of Swiss-AS.  

"While AMOS is the core system in a technical operation's IT solutions landscape, its unparalleled integration capability is the key to ensure true end-to-end digitalization across the full value chain. Although AMOS is capable of integrating with any other market player, we believe that a tight alignment with the other Tech Ops Ecosystem solutions enables us to digitalize our customers faster using industry data exchange standards, " says Fabiano Faccoli, CEO of Swiss-AS. 

In order to push the Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem, Lufthansa Group has decided to bundle all related activities under one organizational roof. For this purpose Lufthansa Technik has purchased 100% of Swiss-AS shares from Swiss International Air Lines. Flydocs and AVIATAR are already part of Lufthansa Technik Group. 

Irish company Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon (LTTS) is expanding its business and facility in response to growing market demand. With a new building in Shannon's Free Zone covering 2,000 square meters and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the company is increasing its capacity. It will offer new products for CFM56 and V2500 turbine engines powering Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft . Operations are set to commence in the new facility in the first quarter of 2023, offering new highly skilled jobs to the mid-west region of Ireland.

"This is a very special milestone for Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon that is celebrating its 30 years in operations  in Ireland ", says Michael Malewski, CEO and Managing Director of LTTS. "We are delighted to add a manufacturing operation to the Shannon Aviation Services Cluster. The region has been home to Lufthansa Technik MRO activities since the 1990's and it's great to contribute to its expansion. With this commitment into a promising business segment we aim at enhancing value for our growing list of customers." 

After experiencing a sharp fall of activity during the Covid-19 crisis, LTTS has already created in excess of 100 jobs. The expansion will enable the company to grow in products for which there is strong demand in the foreseeable future. 

LTTS, a member of Lufthansa Technik's EPAR network (Engine Parts & Accessories Repair), specializes in the repair of components for both high pressure and low pressure turbines for CFMI, IAE, and GE aircraft engines. The company was originally founded in 1992, today employs a staff of more than 250 people and has some 8,000 square meters of floor space available at its existing site in Shannon Smithtown.  

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Lufthansa Technik a so-called Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that officially paves the way for the series modification of two Boeing 777 variants with the fuel-saving AeroSHARK riblet films. Through the STC, the subfleet-wide roll-out of this sustainability technology, developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, can now commence at the launch customers Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). The next modification layovers in Frankfurt and Zurich are already scheduled for early January.

Thanks to its special surface structure of microscopic ribs –  so-called riblets – AeroSHARK reduces the frictional resistance of the aircraft skin. As a result, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by around one percent. For each Boeing 777-300ER operated by SWISS, this means annual savings of around 400 tons of kerosene and more than 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide. The slightly shorter Boeing 777F saves around 370 tons of fuel and 1,170 tons of CO2 each year.

A first AeroSHARK-equipped Boeing 777-300ER of the Swiss airline (HB-JNH), which also completed the flight test program for the now-received certification, had already begun daily operations in October using a temporary "Permit-to-Fly" from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) that was valid for this single aircraft only. The STC issued by EASA now allows Lufthansa Technik to serially apply the nature-inspired riblet films to any given Boeing 777-300ER and 777F aircraft.

The AeroSHARK modification of HB-JNH already began at the end of August and culminated in so-called STC flights with EASA on September 8 and 9. During these flights, detailed proof had to be provided that the AeroSHARK modification had no negative impact on the operational safety and handling of the Boeing 777. The STC flight was followed by several weeks of evaluation of the collected data and other documents, such as measured values from flow simulations. After recently completing its review of all submitted documents, EASA finally granted the STC.

"The approval of AeroSHARK for the Boeing 777 variants is an important step in the distribution of this new technology for more sustainability in air transport," said Soeren Stark, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik. "With our partner BASF, we can now support our customers in making entire subfleets more climate-friendly. Moreover, we intend to realize the use of the new technology for further aircraft types. We are the only MRO company in the world to offer such solutions to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions for commercial aircraft. We are naturally very proud of this."

"Realizing such a project is only possible through cooperation in partnership and great trust in each other's expertise. Together, we have succeeded in developing a tailor-made solution that combines economic action and sustainability in equal measure," explained Dr. Uta Holzenkamp, head of BASF's Coatings division and in this position also responsible for functional films. "With the Novaflex Sharkskin functional film, we are helping our customers to achieve their individual sustainability goals and in this way make aviation measurably more environmentally friendly."

SWISS and Lufthansa Cargo will successively equip all twelve of their 777-300ERs and eleven 777Fs with AeroSHARK. They will thus be the first passenger and cargo airlines worldwide to optimize a complete sub-fleet with the riblet films. Once all Boeing 777s at Lufthansa Cargo and SWISS have received their AeroSHARK modification, they will reduce the Lufthansa Group's carbon footprint by more than 25,000 tons annually.

Lufthansa Technik and BASF intend to consistently develop AeroSHARK further for additional aircraft types and larger surfaces, so that in the future they can support airlines around the world in achieving their emissions targets. In initial model calculations, the sharkskin technology in its maximum expansion stage could even avoid CO2 emissions on the scale of up to three percent.

Lufthansa Technik and the Colombian carrier Avianca have signed a comprehensive Total Component Support (TCS®) contract covering repair and overhaul of components for Avianca's Boeing 787 fleet. The new contract will provide pool support for up to 16 aircraft in the next nine years solidifying the partnership between the companies that started more than ten years ago. 

Álbert Pérez Subiros, Avianca's Vice President of Maintenance, said: "The agreement we have reached with Lufthansa Technik is in line with our goal of becoming an increasingly competitive airline. Through this contract, we will be able to have on-time availability of 787 components, making our cost scheme more efficient, while guaranteeing quality, reliability and availability of the double-aisle fleet in our long-range network." 

"We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with Avianca and continue to build on our relationship for years to come. With enhanced material supply and logistics, our Total Component Support TCS® ensures optimal availability for Avianca's fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft," said Georgios Ouzounidis, Vice President Corporate Sales for The Americas at Lufthansa Technik. 

With this TCS® agreement, Avianca now benefits from an individual supply concept that enables short and rapid transport paths. Lufthansa Technik already provides Avianca with comprehensive component support with Single Component Maintenance SCM®.  

Boeing has awarded Lufthansa Technik a contract for sustainment services within its support of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) future fleet of four P-8A aircraft that will leverage commercial capabilities to improve readiness rates.

The contract is for provision of Lufthansa Technik's Total Component Support (TCS), a comprehensive component services program for the 737 covering more than 400 commercial common parts included in the configuration of the P-8A, a military derivative of the popular airliner. Leveraging the 737 commercial market in support of P-8A international customers will allow smaller fleets easier access to necessary global supply chain inventory from the more than 4,000 737 aircraft operating today.

"Our collaboration with Lufthansa Technik is a strong example of how industry can work together to solve customer challenges and maintain high readiness rates," said Torbjorn (Turbo) Sjogren, Boeing Vice President and General Manager, Government Services. "Our goal is to expand service offerings from a strategic German industry partner for additional P-8A customers to benefit."

The TCS program provided by Lufthansa Technik allows the RNZAF to reduce investment in commercial common parts and improve aircraft readiness through access to the German company's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) global supply chain.

Boeing and Lufthansa Technik signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2021 to support Germany's P-8A Poseidon fleet. The MOU expanded to a three-party agreement with ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH in 2022.

"Lufthansa Technik is a longstanding partner with a long history of supporting Boeing aircraft around the world," said Michael Haidinger, President of Boeing in Germany. "This new contract is a clear demonstration of our commitment to German industry and how we partner across the Atlantic and globally, shaping meaningful partnerships that ensure continued economic and industrial growth in Germany."

Under Boeing's Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) program, Lufthansa Technik also provides hardware support to the Italian fleet of Boeing KC-767A tankers and has facilitated outstanding aircraft availability for the Italian Air Force.

"As a renowned expert for Special Mission aircraft and a leading maintenance, repair and overhaul provider with decades of experience in servicing commercial Boeing 737s, we are delighted to soon start servicing New Zealand's Poseidon fleet. The strong partnership with Boeing enables us to offer the best possible service level over the entire life cycle of the aircraft," said Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. "We are very much looking forward to further cooperation with our partners, in Germany and beyond."

In July 2018, the government of New Zealand announced the purchase of four P-8A Poseidon aircraft to replace their aging fleet of P-3K2 maritime patrol aircraft. The first P-8A to New Zealand was delivered December 2022, with three remaining aircraft to be delivered in 2023.

Deployed around the world with 155 aircraft delivered or in service, and more than 450,000 collective, mishap free flight hours, the P-8A is vital for global anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and search-and-rescue operations.

Lufthansa Technik AG recently received an order from an unnamed private customer for the VIP interior of a brand-new Airbus ACJ320neo. The aircraft is expected to arrive at the company's cabin completion center in Hamburg in late summer 2023, where it will receive its new interior by spring 2024. With customized fittings for private travel as well as for charter operations, the aircraft is designed to meet the highest demands. This will also be valid for the VIP jet's inflight entertainment and communications outfitting that will be based on a latest generation satellite communication system.

The design of the cabin, whose conceptual renderings originate from Lufthansa Technik's in-house design center in Hamburg, was developed in close cooperation with the customer. The layout of the cabin is linear and strictly oriented to the need for privacy: from the deliberately open Grand Entrance behind the cockpit through various lounge and office areas to the spacious and very private Master Bedroom in the rear.

A special feature of the cabin is its flexible design for various purposes, from regular private trips of the owner with his family to chartering the aircraft to demanding individual travel groups. This flexibility is reflected not only in the choice of luxurious, yet extremely durable interior materials, but also in the certification of the aircraft, for which Lufthansa Technik will obtain Supplemental Type Certification for private and commercial flight operations.

To enhance passenger comfort even further, Lufthansa Technik will integrate a cabin air humidification system into the aircraft. In addition, the aircraft's interior will meet the highest demands in terms of onboard entertainment and connectivity. As by customer request a clear focus is laid on integrating passengers' personal digital devices, only a few large screens, some of them retractable, will be installed in the cabin. Similar to a smart home, passengers will be able to individually and effortlessly transfer their personal content to the built-in displays at any time.

"With its flexible interior and a top-notch entertainment system, this aircraft will set completely new standards for narrowbody VIP cabins," explained Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. "But what pleases me even more is that we were able to convince the customer not only with our world-leading design, engineering and cabin completion expertise, but with a complete package of tailor-made services. We are the only company in the world that can offer such a comprehensive package for VIP aircraft from a single source."

In addition to the completion of the VIP cabin, Lufthansa Technik will also provide an Aircraft Production Inspection Program (APIP), the Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) and, after delivery, aircraft maintenance and component support for the customer for an initial period of five years as part of the contract.

Despite the extensive functionalities and a capacity of up to 19 passengers, Lufthansa Technik's specialists have also succeeded in keeping the weight of the cabin interior within particularly narrow limits. As a result, this ACJ320neo with its four auxiliary fuel tanks and efficient PW1100 geared turbofans from Pratt&Whitney will achieve the full range specified by Airbus Corporate Jets for this type.