California startup JetZero’s ‘manta ray’ plane could change air travel forever: 250-seat Z4 aims to fly 5,750 miles and use up to 50% less fuel

A California-based startup is moving closer to testing an aircraft that could look dramatically different from the passenger planes flying today. JetZero is developing the Z4, a futuristic “manta ray” aircraft designed to carry about 250 passengers, fly roughly 5,750 miles and use 30% to 50% less fuel than aircraft currently in service. The company hopes to put a full-scale prototype in the air in 2027, with commercial operations targeted for the early 2030s.

The project gained another major airline partner when Japan Airlines joined the program, bringing expertise in flight operations, cabin service, maintenance and ground handling.

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Why JetZero’s aircraft looks like a manta ray

The Z4's unusual appearance comes from its blended-wing-body configuration. Most commercial aircraft use a conventional “tube-and-wing” design, with passengers seated inside a cylindrical fuselage and separate wings producing most of the lift.

JetZero's aircraft blends the central body into its wings. The broad, flattened structure allows more of the aircraft to contribute to lift while creating a smoother path for air to move around it. The goal is simple: less aerodynamic drag means less energy is needed to propel the aircraft forward.

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The fuel-saving claim is attracting attention

JetZero says the Z4 could use 30% to 50% less fuel than today's aircraft. That is potentially significant for airlines, where fuel is a major operating expense. Burning less conventional aviation fuel could also reduce carbon dioxide emissions per flight.

However, the figure is still a company target, not a result from a certified passenger aircraft. Actual fuel savings would depend on factors such as payload, route, weather, engine choice and how airlines operate the aircraft.

The Z4 would therefore not be an emissions-free airplane.

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A 250-seat aircraft for long-distance routes

JetZero envisions the Z4 carrying around 250 passengers with a maximum range of approximately 5,000 nautical miles, or about 9,200 kilometres. That could give the aircraft an interesting position in the airline market.

With around 250 seats, it would sit between large single-aisle aircraft and bigger twin-aisle jets used on many long-haul routes. The company believes its projected range could allow airlines to operate many medium- and long-distance services without using a much larger aircraft.

Passengers may not get traditional windows

One of the biggest changes would be inside the cabin. The Z4 concept does not rely on conventional side windows. Instead, high-definition screens connected to external cameras would display views of the outside world.

Two skylights near the front of the cabin would provide natural light. The proposed cabin would accommodate roughly 250 passengers across six sections, with each seat also having access to its own luggage compartment.

Whether passengers will embrace a windowless cabin remains one of the unanswered questions surrounding the design.

The concept has been tested before

Blended-wing-body aircraft are not a completely new idea. Boeing, NASA and the US Air Force previously tested the remotely piloted X-48B and X-48C, completing more than 100 flights to study stability, takeoffs, landings and flight controls.

Airbus also developed its MAVERIC demonstrator, which first flew in 2019. The company estimated that its blended-wing-body design could potentially reduce fuel consumption by as much as 20% compared with a conventional single-aisle aircraft using the same engine.

Neither project, however, became a commercial passenger aircraft. That is the challenge JetZero is now trying to overcome.

JetZero's full-scale test is planned for 2027

Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, is building JetZero's Jet1 demonstrator, which is scheduled to make its first flight in 2027. The US Department of the Air Force is backing the blended-wing-body prototype effort with $235 million.

The military is interested in the aircraft's potential for lower fuel consumption, longer range and more efficient cargo transportation. The testing could also provide valuable data for JetZero's future civilian aircraft.

Japan Airlines joins United, Delta and Alaska

Japan Airlines will contribute expertise in flight operations, cabin service, maintenance and ground handling. The companies will also study gate management and future maintenance, repair and overhaul systems.

Takao Suzuki, Japan Airlines' executive officer for corporate strategy, said the partnership supports its commitment to “sustainable innovation and net-zero emissions by 2050.”

JetZero has also attracted interest from major US airlines. United Airlines plans to purchase up to 200 aircraft, while Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines are among the companies supporting the development.

The startup is also working to ensure the Z4 can use existing airport infrastructure without requiring expensive changes to terminals, gates and ground equipment.

The biggest test is still ahead

JetZero's manta-ray aircraft could become one of the biggest changes in commercial aviation in decades, but it still has to prove the concept at full scale.

The company needs to demonstrate that the aircraft can fly safely, meet certification requirements, deliver its promised efficiency and work economically for airlines.

If it succeeds, the Z4 could turn a decades-old aviation experiment into a real passenger aircraft — one capable of carrying around 250 people thousands of miles while potentially using dramatically less fuel.