Aircraft technology company JetZero is to partner with Delta Air Lines on a blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft design.

The BWB aircraft, first tested and demonstrated in the 1990s by NASA and Stanford University , will also be capable of using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) when it goes into service. A demonstrator is being constructed using the Pratt & Whitney PW2040 engine, the same power unit commonly found in the Boeing 757 family. However, JetZero claims that the advanced design of the airframe will cut emissions by up to 50% compared with current aircraft.

READ: JetZero receives investment from Alaska Airlines for blended wing aircraft

“Working with JetZero to realise an entirely new airframe and experience for customers and employees is bold and important work to advance the airline industry’s fuel saving initiatives and innovation goals,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “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.”

Delta will also help design an ‘interior experience of the future’ to ensure a best-in-class customer and employee experience. Blended wing cabin designs have faced challenges relating to fast evacuation and a lack of window seats, but Jet Zero claims to have responded to these issues with a layout that will feature accessible seats and lavatories, and fewer rows and dedicated overhead bin space for each passenger

“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,” said Tom O’Leary, JetZero cofounder and CEO. “The ability to realise such significant efficiency gains in the near future meaningfully impacts the industry’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and will serve
as the foundation on which other technologies and efficiencies can be realized. Delta was one of the first carriers to partner with us, supporting us behind the scenes since 2023, and we look forward to their continued support of our program through their deep knowledge and expertise.”