JetZero’s Buzzing Week In Farnborough

JetZero had a pretty exciting Farnborough Airshow this week, making announcements about the company and potential customers of the Z4 blended wing body aircraft that is under development. AirInsight sat down with Michel Merluzeau, Head of Market Analysis and Strategy, to walk us through the airshow week from JetZero’s perspective. Remember that JetZero shared updates at a pre-Farnborough media briefing in Long Beach, including a revised design, supply chain, and financial developments. Speaking on Day 4 of Farnborough, Merluzeau says: “July has been a great month for JetZero. First of all, we announced that (former Spirit AeroSystems CEO) Pat Shanahan will be joining our Board. I can’t emphasise the value of Pat enough as a leader and as an advisor to our leadership. We are very excited to have Pat on board.” “This week, we had an incredible coming-out party, with multiple deals and multiple commitments, financial commitments. We had a Letter of Intent from EXIM Bank for $3.0 billion to support the facility, developing the facility. What we are doing at JetZero is a colossal effort. It is not only developing an aircraft, but it is also a production system. It’s the creation of an entire ecosystem from scratch. Building an aircraft is a very expensive exercise; building an entire production system is capital intensive for sure, but we are in a really good place from a capital standpoint. We closed Series B (investments) in February at close to $200 million; we are well on the way with Series C, and that is going really well.” Japan Airlines On Day 2, JetZero signed an agreement with Japan Airlines. The carrier hasn’t committed to any aircraft orders, but “announced its support and interest” in the Z4 program. In a shared media release, JAL says: “Key drivers of JAL's interest include the potential for lower fuel burn to reduce operating costs per seat, while offering an elevated passenger and crew experience. These metrics contribute to disciplined capacity growth and long-term sustainability.” "Collaborating with JetZero on the Z4 aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainable innovation and net-zero emissions by 2050," said Takao Suzuki, Executive Officer, Corporate Strategy, Japan Airlines. "By integrating our operational expertise into the Z4's development, we look forward to contributing to a new era of efficient air travel." [caption id="attachment_196150" align="aligncenter" width="696"] JetZero Z4[/caption] Merluzeau is grateful that JAL is supporting the program. “When Japan Airlines is ready to commit, we will be more than happy to welcome them. Right now, they are bringing in their operational experience and maintenance experience.” This includes operational experience within the cabin, but also on the ground at airports, like ground handling of the wing-shaped aircraft. Gulf Air Also on Day 2, JetZero announced “the big one” (Merluzeau), which was the Letter of Intent with Gulf Air for an undisclosed number of Z4s, including preferential delivery positions. This makes Gulf Air the third airline that is really interested in the aircraft after United Airlines (non-binding order for 100 aircraft) and Alaska Airlines. Gulf Air’s new CEO Martin Gauss, previously with airBaltic, was there for the signing. “Incredibly strategic for him and a great commitment, which we really appreciate”, says Merluzeau. In the media statement, Gauss said: "At Gulf Air, we are always looking for ways to innovate and shape the future of air travel for our passengers and our airline. The Z4 represents a significant step change in aircraft efficiency, combining up to 50 percent lower fuel burn with a completely new passenger experience. We share JetZero’s vision for a more sustainable and more efficient future for aviation, and we are excited to be among the first airlines to bring this groundbreaking aircraft into service as we continue expanding our network across Europe and Asia." Credibility These announcements are key to giving JetZero credibility and getting the doubters wrong. “Every day, we bring it closer to the project, whether it is at Farnborough, in Long Beach, Greensboro, or at Paris Airshow. Fundamentally, there is a sense of inevitability of what we are doing, because there is a market requirement for it. We are not creating anything; we are just pressing an answered market demand with an aircraft that is fully transformational in a number of ways. In terms of operational attributes, fuel-saving capabilities, but also in terms of passenger experience and what it brings in terms of revenue options to the carriers.” Merluzeau confirms that JetZero held discussions with numerous airline CEOs at the Farnborough airshow to educate them on the project. While some perceive the flying wing as too radical, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark referred to JetZero during a roundtable with media, discussing that the OEMs are not innovative enough anymore. Michel Merluzeau welcomed Clark’s comments, but added that JetZero is just doing what market surveys tell. “The market is driving our design. We will be an about 250-passenger airplane. The configuration will vary greatly in terms of how you distribute the classes. You know very well that over the past 20 years, aircraft have grown in size. We are fundamentally addressing that trend line with an aircraft that can serve the mid-market, the core and premium markets as well. Airlines are really interested in the fuel savings, something that only a design like the Z4 can provide. What can be more efficient than a wing?” Demonstrator The US Air Force-funded Jet 1 demonstrator aircraft is currently around 50-percent built by Northrop Grumman and will fly sometime in 2027. It will primarily validate aerodynamic efficiency and flight control technologies. “But it will show to the world that JetZero is real, that we can fly an airplane, and that we can validate the most critical part of the design. The demonstrator flights will be an enabler for potential orders. It will be a marker in history.” [caption id="attachment_196154" align="aligncenter" width="721"] JetZero Jet1 demonstrator[/caption] The 250-seater Z4 addresses the middle-of-the-market that Airbus and Boeing have failed to properly do in the past ten years. Airbus says its A321neo and A330neo are doing that, but Boeing walked away from it after evaluating this segment until 2019, not least because it was focused on the MAX crisis. “I wouldn’t say that the duopoly has failed to address it. I would say the duopoly has chosen a different path, for reasons that are theirs but which I, as a former analyst, completely understand.” What if Airbus and/or Boeing come up with a new aircraft that exactly targets this mid-market segment? Would potential customers not prefer to buy from them, instead of from a new OEM that needs to earn credibility? Merluzeau gives a humble answer: “We stand on their shoulders. Boeing is in business for over 100 years; Airbus as well if you take all the companies from which it was formed. If and when they decide to do something, we welcome them to our market segment.” Finalising the design of the Z4 is “work in progress”, as is selecting the engine that will power it. “We have solutions available to us from the three OEMs, and we will have an optimised engine solution for the Z4.” Mentioning “three” means that JetZero is in discussions with Pratt & Whitney, GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce. Delivery of the first production aircraft is scheduled for the early 2030s.

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