Alaska Airlines invests in blended wing aircraft – what can passengers expect?

JetZero, a company developing the first commercial Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft as an alternative to today's conventional tube-and-wing designs, has found a somewhat unexpected investor in the form of Alaska Airlines, an airline with a conservative fleet of various Boeing 737 and Embraer 175 aircraft.

Alaska Airlines is the first airline to invest in JetZero's Series A funding round. The funding is being raised through Alaska Star Ventures (ASV), the airline's investment arm dedicated to identifying and enabling technologies that can help Alaska Airlines achieve its ambitious goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

JetZero's BWB could meet ASV's goals as the company aims to launch the aircraft in 2030 with 100% SAF compatibility. It promises up to 50% lower fuel burn, lower CO2 emissions and less noise as the engines are mounted on the aircraft in semi-buried engine nacelles. ASV's investment also includes options for orders of the JetZero BWB aircraft.

If Alaska Airlines were to pursue this option, the passenger experience in a BWB would be significantly different from today's tube designs. Combining the wings and fuselage in a single smooth shape without a tail fin not only reduces drag, but also creates a wide, spacious interior that allows for innovative seating arrangements.

JetZero offers a “mid-range” configuration with approximately 200 to 250 seats and space in the overhead bins for each passenger's carry-on luggage. A strong feature of JetZero is that the aircraft can be seamlessly integrated into existing airport infrastructure, as its single-level design fits in with existing runways and gates.

JetZero collaborated with studio Factorydesign to fully exploit the potential of the BWB's interior volume. According to Factorydesign, the aircraft interior concepts for JetZero were inspired by regenerative design principles more commonly used in ultra-modern building design.

Essentially, this means that the cabin structures are designed and optimised to provide stability where it is needed, allowing for cell gaps where stability is not needed, saving weight. This approach means that the cabin can be lit through roof and front side windows, with plenty of openings between the structural elements, flooding the cabin with light and space.

You can see a gallery of Factorydesign cabin designs HERE.

In terms of the layout of passenger accommodation (LOPA), the wide cabin space allows for multiple seating areas to be positioned in the middle of the aircraft. The cabin concept is shown here with relatively standard aircraft seating products, but Factorydesign continues to explore ways to completely redefine the passenger flight experience on commercial aircraft. The interior would also give designers more flexibility in working with airlines on the layout of galleys, lavatories and seats they prefer.

The room is certainly large and would give a great sense of space. If you don't think about it carefully, it can almost feel too big, and indeed, Factorydesign's renderings show ideas on how to divide the space into zones and more intimate areas.

Peter Tennent, Director of Factorydesign, commented on the cabin concepts: “Aircraft technology has made enormous progress over the past 60 years, but the opportunities for improving efficiency are diminishing. The same is happening with cabin interiors, as decades of attention mean that the opportunities to create unique passenger experiences in tube and wing aircraft are becoming increasingly elusive. A significant and beneficial change in the passenger flight experience will only be possible with a revolution in aircraft technology, and the JetZero blended wing aircraft is exactly that.”

The design teams also investigated how the latest high-resolution displays could be used to create sidewall panels in the cabin, onto which images such as window frames with views or full-length animated panoramic views of the passing sky could be projected.

2030 seems like an ambitious launch date for FlyZero, but the company has some impressive development partners – including the United States Air Force, NASA and the FAA. If and when the aircraft actually takes to the skies, it will certainly represent a milestone in commercial aviation.

Tom O'Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero, said of the aircraft: “Of all the great new technologies currently in use, the BWB design has by far the greatest impact. Airlines will see immediate benefits in the form of cost savings, dramatically reduced emissions and an improved customer experience compared to aircraft flying today. We are excited to welcome Alaska to our team of innovators and are confident that this aircraft will reshape aviation.”

Across the Atlantic, a consortium is exploring how the net-zero passenger experience could evolve for larger-body aircraft. Find out more about the FlyZero cabins HERE.