Nature, studied carefully, can be a powerful ally in reducing aviation's environmental impact.
In the ancient geometry of a shark's skin, engineers at LATAM Airlines have found a modern answer to one of aviation's most pressing questions: how to move through the world while leaving less of a mark on it. By translating the drag-reducing riblet patterns of shark hide into aircraft surface design — a practice known as biomimicry — the airline has eliminated more than one million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. It is a reminder that nature, shaped by hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary pressure, often holds solutions that human ingenuity alone has struggled to reach.
- Aviation faces an existential tension: it cannot stop flying, yet its carbon footprint grows with every new route and passenger.
- LATAM's engineers turned to the ocean, reverse-engineering the microscopic riblet patterns on shark skin that allow these predators to glide with almost no resistance.
- Applied to aircraft surfaces and aerodynamic structures, these biomimetic principles are delivering a measurable payoff — over one million tons of CO₂ avoided every single year.
- The innovation does not stand alone; LATAM has layered shark-inspired design atop a broader portfolio of fleet-wide technological improvements, compounding the effect.
- Because the underlying principles are scalable and transferable, the real stakes are industry-wide: what LATAM has proven, other carriers can replicate.
LATAM Airlines has turned to an unexpected teacher — the shark — to help solve one of commercial aviation's most stubborn problems. By studying how shark skin's microscopic riblet patterns reduce drag as the animal moves through water, the airline's engineers adapted those same principles to aircraft surfaces, lowering aerodynamic resistance and cutting fuel consumption in the process. The outcome is concrete: more than one million tons of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere annually.
This belongs to the discipline of biomimicry, which holds that nature's four-billion-year design archive is full of solutions waiting to be borrowed. For an industry responsible for two to three percent of global carbon emissions — a share that rises as air travel expands — the stakes of finding such solutions are high. LATAM has not relied on shark-inspired design alone; the airline has built a wider portfolio of technological improvements across its fleet, each one adding to a cumulative reduction that is both measurable and significant.
What gives this story reach beyond one airline's balance sheet is scalability. The aerodynamic principles that work for LATAM's aircraft are not proprietary to South America or to a single carrier. Other airlines can study the same shark, apply the same logic, and achieve comparable gains. LATAM has demonstrated that careful observation of the natural world, translated thoughtfully into engineering practice, can deliver real climate progress without grounding a single flight.
LATAM Airlines has found an unlikely source of inspiration in the ocean: the shark. By studying how these predators move through water with minimal resistance, the airline has engineered aircraft designs that cut through air more efficiently, reducing fuel consumption and the carbon emissions that come with it. The result is substantial—over one million tons of carbon dioxide eliminated from the atmosphere annually.
The approach belongs to a field called biomimicry, the practice of solving human problems by observing and imitating strategies found in nature. For an industry that burns enormous quantities of fuel and produces significant greenhouse gases, the potential of such innovations is considerable. LATAM's engineers looked at the riblet patterns on shark skin, which reduce drag as the animal glides through water. When applied to aircraft surfaces and aerodynamic structures, similar principles lower the resistance planes encounter during flight.
This is not LATAM's only sustainability initiative. The airline has woven together a broader portfolio of technological improvements across its fleet operations. Each innovation—whether inspired by nature or developed through conventional engineering—contributes to the larger goal of reducing emissions without sacrificing the airline's ability to move passengers and cargo efficiently. The cumulative effect of these changes has proven measurable and significant.
The one-million-ton annual reduction represents a meaningful step in an industry facing mounting pressure to address its climate footprint. Commercial aviation accounts for roughly two to three percent of global carbon emissions, a share that grows as air travel expands. Airlines cannot simply stop flying; they must fly cleaner. LATAM's approach demonstrates that technological innovation, informed by careful observation of the natural world, can deliver real reductions in a relatively short timeframe.
What makes this strategy noteworthy is its scalability. The principles LATAM has applied—biomimetic design, incremental technological improvements, fleet-wide implementation—are not unique to one airline or one region. Other carriers can adopt similar methods. The shark-inspired aerodynamics that work for LATAM's aircraft can work elsewhere. As more airlines invest in these kinds of innovations, the cumulative effect on global aviation emissions could become substantial. For now, LATAM has shown that nature, studied carefully and applied thoughtfully, can be a powerful ally in the effort to reduce aviation's environmental impact.
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How did LATAM actually discover that shark skin could improve aircraft efficiency?
They didn't invent the connection—biomimicry researchers have been studying shark hydrodynamics for years. LATAM's engineers applied existing knowledge about riblet patterns to their aircraft surfaces and aerodynamic structures. It's about taking what nature has already solved and translating it into engineering.
A million tons sounds impressive, but what does that mean in practical terms?
It's roughly equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road for a year. For an airline operating hundreds of aircraft across thousands of routes, it's the difference between incremental improvements adding up to something real.
Is this just about the plane's exterior, or are there other changes?
The shark inspiration is one piece. LATAM has implemented broader technological improvements across fleet operations—engine efficiency, weight reduction, route optimization. The shark design is the visible innovation, but it's part of a larger system.
Can other airlines do this, or is it proprietary to LATAM?
The principles are not proprietary. Biomimicry is an open field. Other carriers can study shark skin, apply similar aerodynamic principles, and see comparable results. What matters is the investment and commitment to implementation.
What happens next? Is this a one-time achievement or the beginning of something larger?
This is a beginning. As more airlines adopt biomimetic design and other innovations, the industry-wide impact compounds. LATAM has essentially shown a playbook that works. The question now is whether the industry follows it.