“We do not want to be the cigarette industry in 20 years, where we’re regulated out of existence because people say it’s so bad to fly in an airplane... We want to make sure we’re developing multiple solutions but actually driving each of them forward.”
Pasha Saleh, head of corporate development at Alaska Airlines.
What does Alaska Airlines see that the other major global air carriers miss? What’s not to like in a proposed passenger jet that can accommodate more passengers in a less crowded aircraft that uses less fuel usinga lighter, stitched carbon fiber shell? One that will travel at 45,000 feet where air friction is at its lowest point? An aircraft that has been around in a miniature version for years as a drone, but given its economies and clearly superior environmental impact profile, it could well be the future of jet aviation. Aviation pioneer, Alaska Airlines – the first American passenger carrier to deploy online ticket sales and GPS – is at it again, providing serious investment capital to Long Beach-based JetZero, the designer and manufacturer of the above-pictured the blended-wing-body (BWB) passenger jet, hurtling towards a functional prototype.
Why now? “According to JetZero CEO Tom O’Leary, the industry’s take for decades has essentially been, why innovate when there’s a backup of jet orders and fuel costs are low? … What’s moved the concept closer to reality is both new and improved technology—namely better computer modeling for testing and advances in carbon fiber materials—and the pressing business case for cutting emissions. The Air Force has even invested in JetZero to help develop a BWB cargo plane; roughly 60% of the branch’s annual jet fuel spend comes from cargo planes…
“Airlines like Alaska face a compounding set of challenges around emissions and flight technology. Airplanes account for 2.5% of global emissions, a figure set to only increase in coming years, which is leading to more scrutiny and regulations. Carriers, meanwhile, face the rising cost of jet fuel, which accounts for about 20% of the cost of flying (fuel prices are up 8% since 2019 alone). At the same time, the clock is running out to create a truly net-zero aviation alternative; the International Council on Clean Climate says that for the industry to meet its global ambition of net-zero flying by 2050, new planes entering service need to be net zero starting in 2035.
“The benefits of the JetZero model go beyond helping passengers cut their carbon footprint; in industry speak, the increased efficiency lowers the fuel burn per seat mile. JetZero’s headquarters sit inside a large hangar across from the Long Beach Airport. Within the hangar, a mock-up of the cabin has been laid out with working bins, foam-mat seats, and cutouts of walls, ceilings, and windows. Bathrooms are all clustered in the back, reducing wait times in aisles, and a triangular service area toward the front of the aircraft can be modified to create space for serving and preparing more elaborate meals, and even setting up an in-flight bar.” Patrick Sisson for the August 13th FastCompany.com.
I wanna try flying in one!!! I mean, after all, unless you are willing to fork over extra cash on first or business class, often unavailable on many short-hop carriers, and truly enjoy the ever-shrinking seat size, leg room and reclining features, embellished with all kinds of extra fees and less storage room for carry-on and belly-loaded luggage, flying generally is an unpleasant experience. Add terrible food service, if any, and being jammed up next to a larger passenger sneezing and coughing during a COVID resurgence moment, and you understand just how much misery loves company.
“Glen Noda, JetZero’s head of product design and an industry veteran who has helped create aircraft interiors for years, said there’s just nowhere left to go in terms of innovating the traditional commercial jet. The larger body of JetZero planes allows for less pressure to squeeze profits, and in doing so, passengers… ‘The knee-jerk response for airlines is wanting to densify everything because that’s what you’ve done for 50 years, but that’s not what we need to do on this airline to be profitable,’ Noda said.” FastCompany.com
Indeed, Alaska Airlines just might have one more incentive to find newer alternatives for its passenger fleet. You might remember that back in January, a Boeing 737 Max faced a door panel that blew off a Boeing 737 Max as it was climbing 20 minutes into a domestic flight. The airline? You guessed it: Alaska Air. I have to say, having lived in the 1950s/60s, that “making America great again” by returning to that era, actually terrifies me. And as for jet travel, it was was generally reserved for those with the money to pay for it. As crowds began to fly, my mind kept drifting into visions of a good, old-fashioned Texas cattle drive.
I’m Peter Dekom, and stories like this tell me that luxury and efficiency are not sacrificial lambs in our efforts to tame and reverse climate change.
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