Delta Air Lines announced on March 6, 2025, that it is partnering with JetZero, a US startup that is developing a clean-sheet blended-wing-body (BWB) airliner for 250 passengers.
While JetZero has received the backing of the United States Air Force (USAF) to build a full-scale demonstrator expected to fly by 2027, the blended-wing-body concept also has obvious applications in the civilian market.
This innovative design approach replaces the traditional tube-shaped fuselage with protruding wings with an airframe structure in which the wings and fuselage are seamlessly merged in one piece, with the engines located on top.
In addition to having the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 50% and a much-reduced noise footprint, a future blended-wing-body airliner would also present aircraft designers and airlines with the challenge of redefining the passenger experience in an entirely new cabin set up.
This is where Delta Air Lines enters the stage.
In a press release announcing the partnership with JetZero, the airline explained that it would contribute its know-how to help define the cabin interior experience in the new type of airframe. The US carrier will also provide expertise to optimize the aircraft’s maintenance and operational requirements in the context of sustained commercial operations.
The agreement has been signed within the framework of the Delta Sustainable Skies Lab initiative, a program that aims to drive forward the adoption of environmental technologies in aviation by helping bridge the gap between innovative ideas and their practical implementation at scale in the industry.
