Delta Air Lines is partnering with aerospace startup JetZero on its development of a sustainable blended-wing-body aircraft.
The blended-wing-body design of the planned JetZero plane is expected to make it “up to 50% more fuel efficient than conventional tube-and-wing airframes on the market,” the carrier said.
Delta intends to lend its operational expertise to JetZero, now a member of the carrier’s Sustainable Skies Lab, as the California-based startup develops the jet.
Through the partnership, JetZero will have access to the “right maintenance and operational footprints to prove out and accelerate the commercialization” of the blended-wing-body aircraft, according to Delta.
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Delta will also assist with crafting the aircraft’s interior. The two companies are looking to incorporate “dedicated overhead bin space for each passenger, accessible seats and lavatories, and fewer rows,” the airline said.
The partnership is part of Delta’s efforts to “advance industry innovation, drive down cost through increased fuel savings, elevate the customer experience and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” according to the carrier.
“While Delta is focused on doing what we can today to address our carbon footprint, it’s critical we also work with a variety of partners to advance revolutionary technologies, like JetZero’s blended-wing-body aircraft, to solve for a significant portion of future aviation emissions,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s chief sustainability officer.
The aircraft will have room for more than 250 passengers, Delta said. It is also poised to be “significantly” quieter than current planes, due to the positioning of the engines on top.
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The U.S. Air Force gave JetZero a nine-figure grant roughly a year-and-a-half ago for the creation of a full-scale demonstrator of the blended-wing-body design. The grant is worth $235 million over four years.
Delta said it has “informally partnered” with JetZero since 2021 on “how to best commercialize the aircraft as part of the startup’s grant application.”
The startup aims to fly its demonstrator in 2027. It wants to introduce its design to commercial service by 2030.
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“JetZero is working to change the world by bringing to market an aircraft that aims to fly this decade and make immediate and marked progress toward reducing airline energy costs, and the associated emissions,” JetZero CEO Tom O’Leary said.
O’Leary and co-founder Mark Page created JetZero in 2021.
The startup and its blended-wing-body aircraft have drawn interest from other airlines. In August of last year, Alaska Airlines invested in JetZero, with the option for future aircraft orders.
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