easyJet has become the first European airline partner of JetZero, the Californian designer of the world’s first blended-wing aircraft, with the carrier to provide its operational insights and expertise as JetZero nears its commercial entry into service by the end of the decade.
Speaking at easyJet’s ‘Roadmap to Net Zero’ sustainability event, easyJet’s chief operating officer David Morgan praised JetZero for “pushing the boundaries of airplane design” with a novel concept that has already garnered support from the US Air Force, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The blended wing aircraft dramatically improved aerodynamic efficiency in part thanks to its unique aerofoil jet body and more slender wing design, which could contribute up to 50% reduction in fuel burn and emissions,” he explained.
Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero, praised easyJet’s participation in the project; elaborating that, from personally working on the US’ Clean Air Act in Washington over thirty years ago, today’s industry appetite for initiatives that once “seemed so far fetched” is “a dream come true”. “To see this kind of a commitment at the level of a company within the reach of easyJet is really incredible,” he added.
The airline will now join JetZero’s working group to offer operational insight as to how the aircraft (set to enter commercial service from 2030 as a Jet-A fuelled variant) could be best integrated into its fleet. With end-users’ insight key to “accelerating the impact a plan like this can have… our urgency is to work directly with the airlines,” he explained, stressing that the unique characteristics of the design makes it imperative “at this stage to involve airlines in the process of finalizing our requirements”.
“What easyJet and other airlines do for us is effectively to validate that this is what the market wants and needs,” O’Leary continued. “Obviously lower fuel burn and emissions are the two most important things the industry needs today, but to be able to operationalize that and fit it into networks…that’s really the most important thing and the objective of our working group”.
JetZero currently expects a dozen airlines to participate in its working group, with investor and partner Alaska Airlines the only other candidate announced to date. The first meeting is expected to take place later this year, building on a precursory event held this Spring.