United Airlines was in the news a couple of weeks back, as it invested in JetZero, a start-up looking to build a blended wing body aircraft aimed at reducing fuel burn in the skies. United Airlines is looking to likely order up to 100 aeroplanes from JetZero, with an option to acquire another 100, with the purchase agreement contingent on the start-up achieving certain milestones such as the flight of a full-scale demonstrator in 2027.
As the aviation industry is facing the challenge of rapidly reducing carbon emissions from its operations, JetZero is hoping to stand up to the occasion by offering a blended wing design, in which the wings merge seamlessly with the curvaceous fuselage, leading to as much as a 50% reduction in fuel burn per passenger mile as a result of lower drag. The company has already received a USD 235 million contract from the United States Air Force to develop its tech demonstrator. In March 2025, JetZero announced a partnership with Delta Air Lines under which the carrier would help with the design and development of the aircraft.
JetZero is gearing up to seek private equity funding for billions of dollars needed to bring its aircraft to market. The start-up is also expected to announce a site selection for its final assembly plant before the Paris Air Show that begins in June 2025. Today’s episode of “Start-up of the Week” will see International Finance talking about the venture in detail.
Shaping The Future
JetZero’s airliner is dubbed the Z4. It is a 250-passenger, 5,000nm design for the so-called “Middle of the Market” segment, currently occupied by out-of-production and ageing Boeing 767-300ERs, Airbus A330-200s, and a limited number of Boeing 757s. Eyeing a service entry by the early 2030s, the first flight of the demonstrator aircraft is planned for 2027.
JetZero has an ambitious goal of producing composite aircraft. The final assembly site will be on a 1,000-acre site with a building about the size of Boeing’s widebody plant in Everett. The start-up is planning for a monthly production rate of 20 five years after production begins, with conditional orders from major airlines like United and Delta making the news.
JetZero was founded in 2021 by aviation legend Mark Page and start-up veteran Tom O’Leary. In early 2024, the company expanded into a 285,000 ft², seven-building headquarters, housing several crucial departments such as the design team, cabin lab, fabrication shop, scale model programme, and aero labs. In addition, JetZero professionals are working remotely in support of the programme throughout the United States, securing the supply chain in the process while scouting more customers and business partners.
The start-up has a few daunting tasks to take care of. Some of them are engine commitment for the aeroplane, a product support system, finalising the method to produce the composite aeroplane, “flying” the iron bird, and much more. In March 2025, RTX’s Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace entered into three agreements with JetZero to provide key systems for the airframer’s full-scale demonstrator. Pratt & Whitney will integrate the PW2040 engine and auxiliary power unit (APU), and Collins Aerospace will provide the nacelle and propulsion mounting structure. Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace are RTX businesses.
Another American biggie, Alaska Airlines, in 2024 invested in JetZero. The investment, which includes options for future aircraft orders, was made through Alaska Star Ventures (ASV), the airline’s investment arm whose purpose is to influence the future of the aviation industry. ASV is focused on identifying and enabling the technologies that can help Alaska reach its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. This initiative is part of Alaska’s comprehensive sustainability strategy along with operational efficiency, fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuel, waste reduction, and electrified aircraft.
Meet The Aircraft
JetZero envisions its aircraft to be a “Multi-Use Platform,” bringing a whole new experience within the existing airline and airport infrastructure. Using the “One Plane, Many Routes” approach, the aircraft will serve everything from single-class short-haul to four-class international. On top of that, airlines will be able to reduce up to half of the fuel cost, saving millions per plane per year, thereby ensuring uninterrupted growth. The Z4 will also come with stress-free boarding, faster turn times, dedicated overhead storage, and more personal space in every passenger class.
The freighter version of the aircraft will maximise the current airport and cargo infrastructure, as the Z4F will not require additional investment by shippers. The same containers and better route economics will meet the growing demand for just-in-time delivery. At the same point in time, the economics of the all-wing design will enable a freighter that is more efficient than long-range widebody freighters and competitive for shorter-range missions as well. With air cargo set to grow 70% over the next 20 years, the Z4F offers cost-efficient growth for multiple air shipping routes.
The military version of JetZero’s aircraft will compete for the United States Air Force’s long-range operational requirements as an advanced refuelling tanker that will have a 5,000 nmi range, higher capacity tanks, and a 45,000 ft service ceiling. The military variant, KC-Z4, will serve Washington and its allies as the most fuel-efficient platform while significantly improving combat capabilities operating from an extended range of airfields.
As mentioned before, Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace entered into three agreements with JetZero to provide key systems for the airframer’s full-scale demonstrator earlier this year. Under the arrangement, Pratt & Whitney will integrate its PW2040 engine.
The PW2000 engine family is known for offering 37,000 to 43,000 pounds of thrust and powers all models of the Boeing 757 aircraft, with the F117 military derivative engine serving as the exclusive power plant for the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The PW2040 model engine also powers the US Air Force’s C-32A aircraft, the military version of the 757. The military version will use the PW2000 engine.
Pratt & Whitney’s Canada division will provide the APS3200, an APU that employs the latest in advanced manufacturing techniques, including the use of composites, while Collins Aerospace will design and build nacelle structures including the inlet, fan cowl, and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure. Collins has designed, certified, and manufactured nacelles for large commercial aircraft programmes for decades, including the Boeing 787, Airbus A350, A320neo, A220, and Embraer E2.
The Z4 programme looks firmly set for its demonstration flight in 2027. Under the “Pathfinder” programme, JetZero is using scaled aircraft to refine things further. The start-up marks this process as an “iterative” one, where digital tools do all the heavy lifting. The full-scale demonstrator is being built in partnership with Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of the American multinational aerospace and defence company Northrop Grumman.
Last but not least, during the test flights, JetZero will incorporate its customers’ feedback (United Airlines and Alaska Airlines) to refine the design further, thereby significantly increasing the pace of the aircraft’s service entry into the market.
State-of-the-art tools are enabling the start-up’s Long Beach-based campus to log thousands of flight hours before the demonstrator ever takes to the skies. Understanding the innovative aircraft’s requirement for a reliable flight control system to ensure a safe and smooth flight, Thales will help JetZero’s efforts by providing its “Fly-by-Wire” flight control solution that has been field-proven for over 40 years and installed on board more than 12,000 aircraft.
The solution offers substantial benefits in terms of flight safety, aircraft performance, reliability, and availability. Those benefits encompass flight envelope protection, reduced pilot workload, minimised aircraft weight, improved handling qualities, and reliability.
Image Credits: JetZero`