Delta partners with MicroTau to test Riblet Modification Package on Delta 767s

Read at Delta News Hub: From the ocean to the sky: How Delta is learning from nature to drive fuel efficiency

MicroTau and Delta Air Lines have signed an agreement under Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab to test MicroTau’s Riblet Modification Package on Delta’s Boeing 767 aircraft. Delta describes the Sustainable Skies Lab as “an innovation incubator partnering with disruptors Delta believes will help revolutionize how the industry flies more sustainably.” The Lab includes partnerships with Airbus, Boeing, JetZero and Joby Aviation. 

Image credit: Delta Air Lines

The partnership will see MicroTau and Delta evaluate the drag reduction effectiveness of MicroTau’s Riblet Modification Package through flight testing on Boeing 767 aircraft. This includes an assessment of the fuel savings created by MicroTau’s product as part of an effort to reach Delta’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

MicroTau’s Riblet Modification Package being installed on a US Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J

MicroTau’s Riblet Modification Package is an aviation drag-reduction solution inspired by the microscopic structure of shark skin. The overall efficiency improvement created by riblets when they are applied to the aircraft’s fuselage, wings, and tail is up to 4%. Across the global aviation fleet, this means billions of dollars in fuel saved and millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions prevented.

Media contact: Duncan Bell