Airline Invests in New Blended Wing Design Startup

United Airlines has opened a partnership with sustainable startup JetZero that could eventually put it on course to receive 200 Z4 “all wing” aircraft. The design aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 50 percent, lowering both emissions and spending.

The investment was pushed through under United Airlines Ventures, which was created specifically to “support our efforts to find innovative companies that can enhance the customer travel experience and help the airline lower its carbon footprint,” explained UAV head Andrew Chang. While for now the deal includes no firm orders, it puts United on a path to purchase up to 100 aircraft with the option for 100 more.

The future agreement will remain in the air at least until JetZero can prove its design meets United’s standards for safety, efficiency, and performance. The startup has been fast-tracking the Z4’s development under a 2023 contract with the US Air Force, giving JetZero $235 million to create its full-scale demonstrator. This aircraft is expected to take flight in 2027.

The Z4 is based on a blended wing body, or “all wing,” construction that produces lift across the entire wingspan, providing significant reductions to drag and chopping fuel burn per passenger mile by up to half. It can seat up to 250 passengers and fly with both conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel blends.

"United's investment in our company signals the industry's belief that new, innovative technology is needed in order to achieve the efficiency and cost savings that will be required to meet the continued growth in demand for air travel across the globe," expressed Tom O'Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero. "JetZero is focused on one key technology – the airframe – that enables us to address all of the barriers to growth. This program is the only one in development today that promises efficiency and an elevated customer experience."

This collaboration adds to United’s push to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The carrier has invested in numerous sustainable propulsion technologies, including hybrid-electric, hydrogen, and electric aircraft.

FMI: www.united.com