Zunum Aero has selected charter jet operator JetSuite to launch its first hybrid-electric plane in 2022.
Under the arrangement, JetSuite could eventually add up to 100 hybrid-electric aircraft to its fleet.
Currently under development, Zunum’s new aircraft will be designed to carry up to 12 passengers each and will be powered by a pair of propulsors attached to the frame.
Electric motors will be used to propel the plane’s ducted, or covered, fans, while a traditional fuel-powered motor will serve as a back-up system.
With the new aircraft, Zunum expects to reduce fuel costs and emissions and make flights quieter.
In a statement, Zunum Aero CEO Ashish Kumar said: “JetSuite, with its tradition of shifting paradigms in aviation, is an ideal partner for us in this launch collaboration.
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By GlobalData“We have a shared vision for fundamentally transforming and improving the way that people live and travel.”
Zunum has backing from Boeing and JetBlue Airways.
According to JetSuite chief executive Alex Wilcox, the company will receive about one aircraft a month for the first year or two and then at an accelerated rate from then onwards.
JetSuite expects to deploy the new Zunum planes on its routes that are 200 miles to 500 miles long. The company hopes to have access to new markets through the plane’s ability to take off on a runway of only 2,200ft long.
