California startup JetZero is building a $3 billion aircraft that promises to cut fuel consumption by 50%, carry 250 passengers

A California-based startup, JetZero, is all set to move closer to a real-world test of a 'manta ray' aircraft that could change the future of the airline industry forever. According to the startup, its planned Z4 will carry about 250 passengers, fly roughly 5,750 miles and use 30% to 50% less fuel than the aircraft in service today. The company presented the project during the Farnborough International Airshow, held in the United Kingdom from July 20 to July 24, 2026. Japan Airlines has now joined the program to provide operational input.A 'manta ray' shaped aircraftThe company aims to have a full-scale prototype airborne by 2027 and hopes to launch commercial operations in the early 2030s. In July, JetZero announced a $3 billion deal with the U.S. government to finance a factory in North Carolina aimed at accelerating the development and future production of the aircraft.The major innovation of the aircraft lies in its very shape. Most commercial jets use a "tube and wing" layout, with passengers inside a cylindrical fuselage while two separate wings produce most of the lift that keeps the aircraft in the air. The Z4 uses a blended-wing-body configuration. Its wide, flattened cent...