JetZero sets June 15 ground breaking event for $4.7 billion plant at PTI
JetZero said Tuesday it will hold a ground-breaking ceremony next month for its $4.7 billion manufacturing plant at Piedmont Triad International Airport.
The event will be held June 15, a year and three days after the company announced its plans to build the plant, which will have 14,560 employees, the largest single economic-development job pledge in North Carolina history.
JetZero expects to open its headquarters building at PTI during the first half of 2026.
The manufacturer expects Gov. Josh Stein and other state and Triad elected officials to attend, as well as a presentation from its chief executive and co-founder Tom O'Leary.
The company has maintained a low profile since the plant announcement, with community presentations by its co-founders the only exceptions.
The Z4 aircraft is being marketed as the "world's first commercial blended wing body airplane." The initial Demonstrator test flight is expected in 2027 and commercial flight service by 2030.
The aircraft is being designed to seat between 200 and 250 passengers, fly up to 5,000 nautical miles and is compatible with existing airport infrastructure and sustainable aviation fuel.
The Z4 design blends the wings and fuselage to enable the entire wingspan to produce lift, delivering up to 50% greater fuel efficiency and an associated reduction in emissions.
The 8 million-square-foot aerospace facility will integrate advanced digital and AI-driven manufacturing processes. The facility will manufacture up to 20 Z4s per month.
The State Economic Investment Committee has made JetZero eligible for up to $1.57 billion in direct Job Investment Development grants over a 37-year period.
As many as 15% of JetZero's pledged 14,560 employees - or 2,184 - at PTI could be contractors serving in full-time roles.
State law permits contract workers to count toward full-time employment obligations if the project is considered as a transformative project, as JetZero has been designated.
The key component is that the contract workers are required to come from firms based in North Carolina. They would not receive JetZero employee benefits.
JetZero-badged full-time jobs will include systems and aerospace engineering, supply chain management, production, administrative and financial, human resources, research and development, and customer service.
JetZero did not immediately respond for a current local workforce count.
The manufacturer announced Jan. 15 it has surpassed $1 billion in funding commitments.
The latest effort netted $175 million in Series B financing, led by B Capital, a global multi-stage investment firm, along with United Airlines Ventures, Northrop Grumman, 3M Ventures, SOJA Ventures and RTX Ventures.
Investopedia defines Series B financing as a second major round of venture capital funding for startups. The financing typically is deployed to scale operations, expand market reach and solidify market position after demonstrating a proven business model and significant traction.
RTX Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of aerospace and defense equipment manufacturer RTX, whose Collins Aerospace division has about 1,500 employees in Winston-Salem.
JetZero is collaborating with the U.S. Air Force and NASA on its development initiatives.
"The strength and diversity of our investor base reflects the momentum behind JetZero and the industry's readiness to reshape the future of aviation," O'Leary said.
John H. Boyd, founder and principal with global site-selection firm The Boyd Co. of Boca Raton, Fla., said that many aerospace startups "don't make it to this phase."
"With this level of new funding and with the caliber of both commercial and defense investors, the prospects for long term success is now greatly heightened.
"This inflection point underscores feasibility and sets the stage for scaling the project with space, workers and suppliers."
Boyd said it is crucial for that JetZero to show "that major aerospace breakthroughs don't have to come just from incumbent giants like Boeing and Airbus, and that revolutionary shifts in design not seen in decades - like JetZero's blended-wing body - can still happen."
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 9:44 AM.