Latest news with #TomO'Leary
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A look at the futuristic jet dubbed ‘a living room in the sky'
(NewsNation) — Aircraft developer JetZero is designing a plane that is being called 'a living room in the sky' and the future of commercial aircraft. JetZero's Z4 plane model has a blended-wing body design with its engines on top and is up to 10 feet wider than the Airbus 380 model. The Z4's design will be able to seat up to 250 passengers. The Z4's design will allow for roomier comfort for passengers on board, with a mockup showing various seating bays and wider aisles throughout the cabin. It will be 50% more fuel-efficient than other plane models. Why are students short-circuiting their laptops? It will also not require any airport infrastructure updates because the design can work with current jet bridges and runways. JetZero CEO Tom O'Leary says for passengers, the future means a better flying experience. 'There's a lot about the current experience that is not quite so lovable,' O'Leary said. 'We built this mockup so that people could get a feel for what a blended-wing body plane is going to feel like, more spacious, more of a living room than a hallway.' The Z4 is among other designs commissioned by NASA in a push towards a new generation of low-emission commercial aircraft, including a concept craft with 10 propellers and another with an elongated wing design, which stretches around to connect to the plane's tail section. Long-haul carrier Emirates reports record profit of $5.2 billion The Z4 has received a $235 million grant from the U.S. Air Force and attention from United Airlines, which has recently invested in the company and committed to purchasing up to 200 of the planes, contingent on a demonstrator model in 2027 that meets the requirements of a plane. 'This plane fits into the same exact gates as the wide body that we fly today. It can really put more people through the same gate infrastructure,' O'Leary said. O'Leary also said the planes will be much quieter for communities surrounded by airports because the engines being on top of the plane will radiate noise upward. Delta and Alaska Airlines have also invested in JetZero. The company hopes to have actual planes in the air commercially by 2030. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
JetZero's triangle-shaped jet on track to fly by 2027
Published May 06, 2025 • 2 minute read A rendering of JetZero's blended-wing jet. Photo by Bloomberg Daybreak / JetZero JetZero Inc., the start-up aiming to take on planemakers Airbus SE and Boeing Co., is on track to fly the first full-scale model of its manta ray-shaped jetliner by late 2027, executives said Friday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The company is about halfway through the key milestones in its development process for the so-called 'demonstrator aircraft,' and is already laying plans to manufacture and certify the first commercial versions, Florentina Viscotchi, JetZero's head of engineering, told reporters at its Long Beach, California, headquarters. Executives 'feel very confident' they're on the path to first flight by the end of 2027, as the company initially projected, she said. 'Yes, we are very serious about this aircraft and it's on the path to being really built.' The next three years will be critical for JetZero. The company is weeks away from unveiling a 1,000-acre site for its main factory — comparable in size to Boeing's complex north of Seattle or four golf courses, said Tom O'Leary, a Tesla veteran who is the fledgling company's chief executive officer. He's also lining up industrial partners and funding, counting on a boost as the plane concept gets closer to reality. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. O'Leary described his vision for 2028: To have a plane in the air and a factory taking shape on the ground. 'These are things that are going to happen,' he said in an interview. The company has won early commitments from Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. — and a $235 million grant from the US Air Force — for a concept aimed at replacing the traditional tube-and-wing design that's dominated air travel for decades. The goal is to fast-track the effort at a time when Boeing and Airbus are working through record order backlogs and aren't planning to introduce any all-new designs until the mid- to late-2030s. But bringing its radical design to market is a daunting task given the billions required to stand up manufacturing and a supply chain, and the delays that long-established jet families from Boeing and Gulfstream face in gaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Aviation is littered with companies that have tried to take on the planemaker duopoly, most recently Bombardier Inc.'s C-Series aircraft. The effort nearly bankrupted the Canadian manufacturer, which unloaded a controlling stake to Airbus SE for a token $1 sum. JetZero has hired an engineering team and advisors who helped steer the Bombardier jet through certification. Still, it has encountered hiccups, including losing a jet model at 12.5% of the final version's scale to a battery fire after an initial test, executives said. JetZero team members, using concepts honed during their time at Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, are creating an aircraft that would seat about 250 people in a triangular-shaped jet cabin that's wider than conventional jets and boasts a shorter fuselage that contributes lift and fuel-savings. Gone is the tail, with two engines piggybacked onto the rear in its place to provide both power and stability. 'We're not saying it's a cake walk, but we have people who've done this before,' said Bethany Davis, a former Gulfstream executive who is JetZero's head of systems and certification. 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Business Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
JetZero's triangle-shaped jet on track to fly by late 2027
[LOS ANGELES] JetZero, the startup aiming to take on planemakers Airbus and Boeing, is on track to fly the first full-scale model of its manta ray-shaped jetliner by late 2027, executives said on Friday (May 2). The company is about halfway through the key milestones in its development process for the so-called 'demonstrator aircraft', and is already laying plans to manufacture and certify the first commercial versions, Florentina Viscotchi, JetZero's head of engineering, told reporters at its Long Beach, California, headquarters. Executives 'feel very confident' they're on the path to first flight by the end of 2027, as the company initially projected, she said. 'Yes, we are very serious about this aircraft and it's on the path to being really built.' The next three years will be critical for JetZero. The company is weeks away from unveiling a 1,000-acre (405 ha) site for its main factory – comparable in size to Boeing's complex north of Seattle or four golf courses, said Tom O'Leary, a Tesla veteran who is the fledgling company's chief executive. He's also lining up industrial partners and funding, counting on a boost as the plane concept gets closer to reality. O'Leary described his vision for 2028: To have a plane in the air and a factory taking shape on the ground. 'These are things that are going to happen,' he said in an interview. The company has won early commitments from Delta Air Lines, United Airlines – and a US$235 million grant from the US Air Force – for a concept aimed at replacing the traditional tube-and-wing design that's dominated air travel for decades. The goal is to fast-track the effort at a time when Boeing and Airbus are working through record order backlogs and aren't planning to introduce any all-new designs until the mid- to late-2030s. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up But bringing its radical design to market is a daunting task given the billions required to stand up manufacturing and a supply chain, and the delays that long-established jet families from Boeing and Gulfstream face in gaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. Aviation is littered with companies that have tried to take on the planemaker duopoly, most recently Bombardier's C-Series aircraft. The effort nearly bankrupted the Canadian manufacturer, which unloaded a controlling stake to Airbus for a token US$1 sum. JetZero has hired an engineering team and advisers who helped steer the Bombardier jet through certification. Still, it has encountered hiccups, including losing a jet model at 12.5 per cent of the final version's scale to a battery fire after an initial test, executives said. JetZero team members, using concepts honed during their time at Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, are creating an aircraft that would seat about 250 people in a triangular-shaped jet cabin that's wider than conventional jets and boasts a shorter fuselage that contributes lift and fuel-savings. Gone is the tail, with two engines piggybacked onto the rear in its place to provide both power and stability. 'We're not saying it's a cake walk, but we have people who've done this before,' said Bethany David, a former Gulfstream executive who is JetZero's head of systems and certification. BLOOMBERG
AU Financial Review
02-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Iluka CEO backs efforts to loosen China's rare earths stranglehold
The chief executive of taxpayer-backed Iluka Resources has praised Western governments' efforts to loosen China's grip over rare earths, which include Australia's proposed creation of a $1.2 billion critical minerals stockpile. Iluka Resources managing director Tom O'Leary said Western governments had acknowledged 'China's monopoly' over rare earths - a position that allows Beijing to control pricing and supply of the critical minerals, harming global rivals.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major airline partners with startup on mind-blowing new airplane design: 'Looks and feels like nothing flying today's commercial skies'
It's a bird, it's a plane — it's a brand-new sustainable aircraft. Airline company Delta is partnering with aviation startup JetZero to develop a sleek and sustainable aircraft that "looks and feels like nothing flying today's commercial skies," per Delta News Hub. Delta's Sustainable Skies Lab, which launched in 2023, will help bring JetZero's blended-wing-body aircraft to life. The plane is "expected to be up to 50% more fuel-efficient than aircraft in operation today, with flight range and seat capacity comparable to today's mid-range international aircraft — all with existing engine technology," Delta News Hub reported. The goal is not only to help Delta reach their net-zero emissions goal by 2050, but to develop and implement new technology that could change the aviation industry completely. JetZero insists their design will fly within this decade. Early last year, their scaled-down Pathfinder model received an airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing JetZero to do official test flights. Energy-efficient, sustainable aircraft development like JetZero's could pave the way for net-zero aviation pollution. Globally, the aviation industry is responsible for 2.5% of carbon dioxide emissions, and has "grown faster between 2000 and 2019 than rail, road or shipping," per the International Energy Agency. Delta has already made good progress on their path to sustainability. A sustainable aviation fuel blending facility is under construction in Minnesota, and will help Delta replace planet-polluting jet fuel. Tom O'Leary, the cofounder and CEO of JetZero, told Delta News Hub that "JetZero is working to change the world by bringing to market an aircraft that aims to fly this decade and make immediate and marked progress toward reducing airline energy costs, and the associated emissions." "The ability to realize such significant efficiency gains in the near future meaningfully impacts the industry's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and will serve as the foundation on which other technologies and efficiencies can be realized," O'Leary said. Which of the following sustainable changes would make you most likely to choose a particular airline? Using cleaner fuel Reducing in-flight waste Making it easy to choose low-emissions itineraries I don't pay attention to sustainability when I fly Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
