3M, which manufactures a variety of aircraft interiors, structures, propulsion systems, and other aerospace products, will help develop a new airliner it believes has the potential to “reshape aviation.”
The conglomerate on Monday announced a fresh investment and collaboration with JetZero, the developer of a blended-wing body (BWB) or “all-wing” aircraft for up to 250 passengers. With its “material science expertise,” 3M plans to support the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of JetZero’s flagship Z4.
The company said it views the Z4 as a way to deliver “ever increasing airline needs for efficiency, performance, and sustainability.” It added that the design’s key advantage—up to a 50 percent reduction in fuel consumption versus tube-and-wing models—“can be adopted by already commercialized aircraft.”
3M participated in JetZero’s $175 million funding round in January, joining United Airlines Ventures, RTX Ventures, and Northrop Grumman.
United in 2025 made a separate investment that included an order for up to 100 aircraft and 100 options. RTX’s Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace units are JetZero suppliers. Northrop’s Scaled Composites division is helping the company build a full-scale prototype that it aims to demonstrate for the U.S. Air Force in 2027 under a $235 million contract award. The prototype is intended to validate a 30 percent reduction in fuel, and United’s options are contingent on its success.
Alaska Airlines is also a JetZero investor and has placed a conditional order. Delta Air Lines became a formal partner in 2025 after working with the company informally for years.
JetZero’s Advantage
Per United, a 3,400 nm flight on the Z4 from New York City to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, would use up to 45 percent less fuel versus twin-aisle aircraft that fly that route today.
That’s because JetZero promises to cut fuel use in half while delivering a 30 percent improvement in lift-to-drag ratio. The savings come from the Z4’s blended wing, which integrates traditional wing and fuselage structures and eliminates the tail section. That gives it a wider, shorter body than a tube-and-wing.
The atypically shaped cabin will feature vertical walls, allowing it to accommodate wider doors and 18-inch-wide seats, with dedicated overhead bin space for each. It could be configured for 2-by-3 seating or without a middle row.
The Z4 airframe will largely comprise carbon fiber-based composites that are lighter than aluminum, titanium, and other traditional materials. JetZero has a partnership with Hexcel to qualify the composite materials for its aircraft development program.
In addition to Pratt & Whitney’s PW2040 turbofan engine and Collins’ nacelles, fairings, and engine support structures, the Z4 will feature Thales’ fly-by-wire control system. It is designed to run on conventional fuel but could accommodate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends or liquid hydrogen in the future. Per JetZero, it will require no new jet bridges, runways, or taxiways.
The company earlier this year told FLYING that the aircraft is designed for the “mid-market” of 250 passengers and 5,000 nm. It is targeting Part 25 certification with planned passenger transport, commercial freighter, and military refueling variants.
The Z4 will be built at a $4.7 billion plant in North Carolina.
Competing with JetZero for airline customers is another California-based developer, Natilus. Its Horizon—billed as a BWB replacement for single-aisle narrowbodies such as the Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10 and Airbus A320neo—is predicted to have a 160,000-pound MTOW and cruise at Mach 0.8.
