JetSuite Plans to Fly Hybrid-Electric Planes by 2022
JetSuite has lost no time putting its Qatar investment money to good use: On Monday, aviation startup Zunum Aero announced that the private jet charter company will be its inaugural customer for a new hybrid-electric aircraft, with an estimated delivery date sometime in 2022. While no financial details were released, JetSuite could potentially commit to purchase up to 100 planes from Zunum Aero.
Zunum Aero's aircraft for JetSuite will primarily be built of composite materials. Two engines mounted just in front of the distinctive V-tail will be powered by "Tesla-style" electric propulsion packs located to the rear of the passenger cabin, which will allow the Zunum Aero plane to carry relatively little fuel over the aircraft's anticipated range of 700 miles.
The Zunum Aero's 340 mph cruise speed is almost 10% faster than similarly sized commercial planes currently in use, such as Pilatus and King Air aircraft. Because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires two pilots for 10 or more passengers on commercial aircraft, the initial 12-passenger design will most likely be modified to seat nine passengers.
Planes this size typically serve private charter companies like JetSuite that offer on-demand air taxi services between neighboring cities for business executives who prefer to fly in and out of smaller airports to avoid the hassle of commercial travel.
Zunum Aero CEO Ashish Kumar believes his innovative aircraft will make private aviation more accessible to a wider sector of the population. Kumar, an aerospace engineering Ph.D who previously held senior executive roles with Google and Microsoft, estimates the Zunum Aero will cost around $250 per flight hour to operate. In comparison, non-electric planes currently in use average between $600–1,000 per flight hour in operations costs.
https://vimeo.com/270392646/bd1d6d4d19
Kumar sees the JetSuite aircraft as its first in a range of hybrid-electric designs, including a plane that can carry between 30 to 50 passengers. The ambitious aviation startup is also joining the ranks of companies developing autonomous flying aircraft. The company is backed by investors including HorizonX, Boeing's venture capital subsidiary, as well as the state of Washington.
All images by Zunum Aero.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
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- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app