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(Long Beach, Calif., U.S.) is an aviation startup that is developing a multiuse composite blended wing body (BWB) demonstrator aircraft in a $235 million contract with the U.S. Air Force. This contract will advance this technology for a military tanker that could also be repurposed as a 250-260 passenger jet, possibly entering service in the early 2030s. The company has made several key announcements in 2025:

JetZero has developed a digital thread design, in partnership with Siemens, that includes fiber optic sensors embedded throughout the aircraft for monitoring its structures and systems. As reported by , this enables condition-based maintenance that could offer 30% lower costs through more efficient operations by scheduling maintenance as needed.

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Collins Aerospace (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.) an RTX company, including the inlet, fan cowl and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure. Collins has decades of experience in the design, certification and manufacturing of nacelles for large commercial aircraft programs, including the Boeing 787, Embraer E2 and Airbus A350, A320neo, and A220. “The aviation industry is focused on efforts to reduce operational costs by improving fuel efficiency and RTX has an extensive portfolio of technologies to help companies like JetZero do just that,” says Juan de Bedout, RTX chief technology officer. “Together, JetZero and RTX will play an important role in redefining the future of commercial and military aviation.”

JetZero is also in the process of building a adjacent to the Long Beach Airport terminal which will serve as the company’s headquarters and a hub for innovation in commercial aviation design and manufacturing.

, providing operational expertise through its Sustainable Skies Lab to bring the BWB aircraft to commercial viability, as part of the global carrier’s work toward net-zero emissions by 2050. The global airline will also consult on interior design to reinvent and further elevate customer and employee experiences, and is supporting first flight of the demonstrator aircraft in 2027.

JetZero aims to revolutionize air travel by offering a 50% reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to existing aircraft. To achieve this, the JetZero BWB is leveraging the lightweight strength of carbon fiber-reinforced composites in its fuselage and wings to reduce weight and improve efficiency. JetZero’s BWB demonstrator aircraft has been built in partnership with , and is on-track for first flight in 2027.