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The exterior design of a commercial jet hasn’t changed much in the past 70 years. And inside, it’s not much different either. There are still screaming babies, beverage carts that hit your leg, and pretzel bags that won’t open. And while Delta Air Lines (DAL-3.28%) isn’t saying anything about the pretzel bags, they are announcing a new prototype jet of the future.
Delta announced it is partnering with California-based JetZero to craft a new type of plane which vaguely resembles a Stealth bomber. The company says the new design will help reduce emissions and fuel costs for the airline. Delta hopes to have a prototype plane in the skies by 2027. Other highlights of the plane, according to a Delta press release:
- Capacity to carry 250 or more passengers
- Roof mounted engines that will cut down on noise
- Planes can use existing airport infrastructure
“Working with JetZero to realize an entirely new airframe and experience for customers and employees is bold and important work to advance the airline industry’s fuel saving initiatives and innovation goals,” said Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
But Sheldon Jacobson, a futurist and professor of computer science at the University of Illinois’s Granger College of Engineering, says we should not expect to see these planes full of passengers in the sky anytime soon.
Jacobson says he is always intrigued to see the boundaries of research pushed forward to achieve a “better mouse trap,” in this case, airplanes for commercial flight.
“The advantages are that such a “green” airplane would reduce emissions and be more energy efficient, all positives,” Jacobson says, but he adds that making changes to commercial air travel is very difficult.
“The standard for air travel safety is exceedingly high. Combine that with passenger comfort and you have a very high bar to overcome,” Jacobson says, adding that with new designs like this, the laws of unexpected consequence suggest some surprises once deployed.
“ I cannot see anything like this deployed for widespread commercial travel for another decade. The military will be much faster and serve as a convenient test bed,” Jacobson says.