Additional Coverage:
- Airbus CEO said the future of commercial aviation could be a B-2 bomber-like plane with a cabin in the wing (businessinsider.com)
The Future of Flight: Will Passenger Planes Look Like Stealth Bombers?
Get ready to ditch those tiny airplane windows, because the next generation of commercial aircraft might just resemble the iconic B-2 stealth bomber. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury recently revealed that the traditional “tube-and-wing” design could be replaced by a “blended-wing body” (BWB) in the next 30 to 40 years. This futuristic design, which essentially combines the fuselage and wings into one giant, thick wing with the cabin built inside, promises greater efficiency and more passenger space.
Faury, in an interview with German newspaper Bild, highlighted that a widebody aircraft would be particularly well-suited for this revolutionary concept. The BWB design distributes lift across the entire wing, allowing for a heavier carrying capacity and significantly improved fuel efficiency compared to today’s conventional jets.
However, this innovative leap comes with some notable trade-offs. The most significant is the potential elimination of windows.
Passengers would lose access to natural light, raising concerns about disorientation, claustrophobia, and the overall passenger experience. Emergency evacuations could also pose challenges, as passengers in the center of the cabin would be further from exits, and the lack of external views could hinder crew response.
A Look Back and Forward
The blended-wing body concept isn’t entirely new. The Northrop B-2 Spirit, which first flew in 1989, is a well-known example of a “flying wing” aircraft.
Interest in the BWB for commercial aviation resurfaced in the early 1990s, with McDonnell Douglas and NASA collaborating on the BWB-17. Boeing continued this work after its merger with McDonnell Douglas, producing the X-48 series of subscale demonstrators until 2013.
Despite this long history, no full-size passenger BWB has yet been certified or flown.
Airbus has been actively exploring BWBs since 2017, with its 200-person design team focusing on integrating the concept into its ZEROe initiative for zero-emission aviation. In 2019, the company flew a small-scale demonstrator, demonstrating potential fuel savings of around 20% and opening up possibilities for new cabin layouts. The long-term vision for these aircraft involves powering them with hydrogen.
While Airbus initially aimed for a 2035 timeline for its ZEROe initiative, it has pushed that back by as much as ten years. This delay is attributed to challenges in certification, the limited global hydrogen infrastructure, and uncertainty regarding passenger acceptance of a windowless cabin.
Startups Challenging the Duopoly
The race for the BWB isn’t solely an Airbus endeavor. Aviation startups like Natilus and JetZero are aggressively pursuing their own blended-wing designs, hoping to disrupt the traditional Airbus-Boeing duopoly with launches targeted for the early 2030s.
San Diego-based Natilus is developing the “Horizon,” a narrowbody BWB designed to compete with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. The company claims Horizon will offer 25% lower fuel burn and 40% more cabin space, all while being compatible with existing airport infrastructure.
Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev believes the industry faces a significant shortfall of narrowbody jets, a gap that legacy players may struggle to fill. Horizon’s larger cabin is envisioned to allow for wider seats, dedicated family areas, and up to three aisles.
Notably, Natilus states that Horizon will feature windows throughout, with skylights and other lighting strategies to simulate natural light for those in center seats.
Further north in Long Beach, JetZero is developing the “Z4,” a widebody BWB that promises up to 50% lower fuel burn, aiming to replace aircraft like the Boeing 767 and Airbus A330. The Z4 also boasts similar advantages in airport compatibility and cabin layout.
United Airlines has already shown strong interest, with its venture arm planning to purchase up to 200 of JetZero’s 250-seat Z4s. Andrew Chang, Managing Director at United Airlines Ventures, envisions the Z4’s expansive interior as a “living room in the sky.”
JetZero successfully flew a subscale prototype, “Pathfinder,” in 2024.
As the aviation industry looks to the future, the blended-wing body concept is clearly gaining momentum, promising a radical shift in how we fly. While challenges remain, the potential for increased efficiency and innovative passenger experiences could soon reshape the skies above us.