Thanks to an incredible new kind of “structural” paint, airplanes could soon fly a lot more efficiently. While it currently takes over 1,000 pounds of paint to cover a 747, it could soon may take as little as about 3 pounds. Changes to the weight of airplanes can make a huge difference:

When American Airlines ditched just 67 pounds’ worth of pilot’s manuals per flight, the company estimated it would save 400,000 gallons of fuel and $1.2 million annually. In 2021, AA introduced a new paint that cut weight on 737s by 62 pounds, saving 300,000 gallons a year.

If brought into widespread use, this new paint could save many millions of gallons of fuel every year.