Future of flying? JetZero CEO takes on Airbus and Boeing with jet that aims to cut emissions in half

Tom O’Leary is on a mission to reshape how we fly.

He’s the co-founder and CEO of JetZero, an aviation startup building a blended-wing body aircraft that aims to use up to 50% less fuel than today’s commercial jets.

That means it could, in theory, cut both fuel burn and emissions in half — making it cheaper and greener for airlines to operate.

The pitch? Helping carriers dramatically reduce costs on what's typically their single biggest expense — fuel — while helping them hit emissions targets more easily.

Sounds simple, right? Not quite.

JetZero is trying to take flight in an industry long dominated by a duopoly — Boeing and Airbus — where new entrants face enormous technical, financial and regulatory barriers for obvious reasons. 

Yet the California-based company is backed by the US Air Force and United Airlines, and targeting commercial service in the early 2030s.

Before launching JetZero, Tom worked at Tesla and aviation startup BETA Technologies.

In this conversation, we get into:

| 00:20 — Introduction 
| 01:58 — Early life – growing up in New England 
| 02:46 — Entrepreneurial drive in childhood 
| 03:40 — Early spark – thinking about the environment as a kid 
| 04:32 — O'Leary's career – learning from incumbents vs. new market entrants, like Ford and Tesla 
| 06:54 — Working at Tesla in its early days and lessons from Elon Musk 
| 08:24 — Leadership lessons from O'Leary's first job as a school teacher and coach 
| 13:51 — Breaking down the Z4's blended-wing body design 
| 15:00 — Catering to aviation's underserved "middle market" - flights of 200 to 250 passengers 
| 18:07 — Founding JetZero and meeting his co-founder through Beta Technologies
| 21:58 — Navigating industry red tape
| 25:31 — Partnerships & funding 

| 29:12 — Industry pain points 
|30:51 — Company milestones and a "pinch-me moment" – $300M raised, winning the US Air Force grant, working with NASA 
| 32:58 — Teaming up with airlines like United, Alaska and Delta 
| 34:48 — The passenger experience – what it would be like to travel on a JetZero plane, with a reimagined cabin 
| 36:39 — Airframe first — Why improving the plane’s design matters more to JetZero for now vs. focusing on sustainable fuel 
| 38:00 — Industry outlook — what stops Boeing & Airbus from doing this themselves? 
| 39:10 — Planned timeline for commercial service 
| 39:51 — Audience question 
| 41:03 — Rapid-fire round 

About Behind the Business:

Behind the Business is a video series and podcast hosted by Michelle Toh, CNN and Fortune alum, that explores the decisions and philosophies behind today's most influential leaders. Recorded in person across the US, the show is grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal, providing the backstories of founders, corporate leaders, investors and creators and how they push through to make the most of both work and life each day. What's the worst day you've faced at your company? How do you cope with crisis or rejection? Or what's a pinch-me moment you'll never forget? In each episode, guests get into it all. New episodes every Thursday. 

About Michelle Toh:

Michelle Toh is an award-winning international journalist. She has covered some of the top stories in global business and tech, most recently as a reporter based in Hong Kong appearing across CNN's digital and television platforms. Before joining CNN, she was an associate editor of Fortune Magazine, and her reporting has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and the South China Morning Post.

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