JetZero
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Tom O’Leary, Mark Page |
| Headquarters | Long Beach, California , United States |
Key people | Tom O’Leary (CEO), Mark Page (CTO) |
| Products | Blended wing body aircraft (Z4) |
Number of employees | 14500 (projected) |
JetZero is an aerospace startup launched in 2021 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, focusing on advanced blended wing body aircraft designs. Initial capital was secured through investments from the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and private backers.
The company was established by CEO Tom O’Leary and CTO Mark Page. JetZero is developing a $4.7 billion production plant near Piedmont Triad International Airport in Guilford County, North Carolina. This facility will manufacture the Z4, a next-generation middle-market passenger aircraft, and is projected to generate more than 14,500 employment opportunities.
History
JetZero introduced the Z4 program in 2023, a 250-seat blended wing body airliner aimed at the mid-size market segment, utilizing the existing Pratt & Whitney PW2040 engines. In August of that year, the U.S. Air Force granted JetZero a $235 million contract spread over four years to create a full-scale demonstrator, with the maiden flight scheduled for early 2027. This initiative seeks to demonstrate the viability of BWB technology for both military and commercial sectors.
In January 2024, JetZero relocated to a 275,000-square-foot facility at Long Beach Airport, previously occupied by Gulfstream Aerospace. By March 2024, its Pathfinder scale demonstrator at a 1:8 ratio obtained FAA airworthiness approval, allowing flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base. The demonstrator has been developed in collaboration with Scaled Composites (a Northrop Grumman company) and incorporates the Pratt & Whitney PW2040 engine.
Programs
- Pathfinder
- The Z4, a V-shaped aircraft engineered to transport 250 passengers over distances greater than 9,000 kilometers