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Charter operator JetSuite will be the launch partner for Zunum Aero’s hybrid-electric aircraft under development.
Seattle-based Zunum, which expects to bring the aircraft to market in 2022, said that JetSuite will purchase up to 100 planes.
The companies have a common tie in JetBlue, which owns a minority stake in JetSuite and helped seed Zunum.
Zunum’s aircraft will hold up to 12 passengers, but JetSuite and other purchasers would most likely configure them to carry just nine, which is the limit under FAA rules for flights manned by just one pilot. The aircraft will be optimized for distances up to 1,000 miles and will fly at a maximum speed of 340 mph.
Electric batteries will primarily power the Zunum planes, but the battery power will be augmented by a fuel-powered generator. Zunum expects its initial aircraft to reduce noise and emissions by 80% compared with similar-sized planes.
Zunum has stated that its goal is to disrupt short-haul air travel in the U.S., flying out of small, little-used airports and reducing travel time compared with existing regional flight options. The hybrid plane will require 40% less runway length than today’s regional aircraft, the company says. And that, coupled with noise reduction, could make the plane usable at up to 5,000 under-utilized U.S. airports.
Source: travelweekly.com
