The investment arms of Boeing and JetBlue Airways have invested in start-up Zunum Aero, which is attempting to develop short-range hybrid electric-powered aircraft.
Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue Technology Ventures, says that Zunum could disrupt the regional aviation industry. "We believe that Zunum and its quiet, environmentally-friendly aircraft will light up a vast network of underutilized airports and reinvent regional travel," Simi said in a press statement.
Washington-based Zunum Aero claims that, by taking jet fuel out of the equation, electric aircraft will come with significantly smaller operating costs. It estimates that travel time and ticket prices could be reduced by as much as 40 – 80%. CEO and founder Ashish Kumar bemoans the current focus on large aircraft and hubs. "As a result, door-to-door times for most journeys are no better than they were 50 years ago," he said. "Hybrid propulsion is an industry-changing solution, enabling mid-sized aircraft on regional routes to have better cost efficiencies than airliners."
Boeing's investment fund HorizonX also believes that Zunum is leading the way in the hybrid-electric space. "This technology and customer approach has the potential to transform the market for small, short-haul aircraft that can use smaller regional airports," said Steve Nordlund, Vice President of Boeing HorizonX.
Zunum says that its vision is "to develop 1,000-mile [1600 km] electric air networks to bring fast and affordable travel to every community" using "quiet range-optimized powertrain and propulsion technologies". It is also working with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop standards around electric-powered aircraft, with an eye to starting operation in the early 2020s.
