JetZero breaks ground on $4.7B plant at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro

The planned $4.7 billion JetZero plant at Piedmont Triad International Airport represents, at its core, the coming together of visions, both locally and nationally, for the future of passenger flight and manufacturing.

"Today is the start of something new - not just for JetZero, but for how aircrafts are built in America," said Tom O'Leary, chief executive and co-founder of JetZero.

"By using the best digital tools available before we break ground, we'll design a factory that can grow and change with us. That means we can deliver better aircraft, faster, for our customers and our country."

JetZero's Z4 aircraft is being marketed as the "world's first commercial blended wing-body airplane."

The aircraft will 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 company has said.

Yet, the concept of a blended aircraft design goes back to the late 1930s.

JetZero is the latest - and possibly the best - hope for the design actually taking flight, potentially as soon as the early 2030s.

In the 1990s, airport officials shifted gears after determining that Greensboro would likely never be a major commercial airline hub. Instead, they decided that land nearby could attract aviation manufacturers searching for lower-cost production and direct access to airport runways.

O'Leary described the proposed plant as "a north star" for not only the aviation industry, but also for start-up manufacturers "in the entire country."

Gov. Josh Stein described the JetZero project as the launch of a new chapter of flight in North Carolina, as well as the world.

"With JetZero's investment here, we are gaining altitude and speed" with the largest economic development project in North Carolina history based on job commitment," Stein said.

O'Leary continues to acknowledge the high-risk, high-reward aspect of committing to 14,560 jobs and $4.7 billion.

Local residents and potential employers should be reassured by how JetZero is employing AI in partnership with NASA, U.S. Air, Deloitte and Siemens to develop aircraft design and production schemes - "a digital twin of this factory," O'Leary said.

"By the point we build the first aircraft, we will already have simulated it millions of times. Before we pour the first concrete, we will already have created the factory in the omniverse."

O'Leary said Piedmont Triad Airport Authority's willingness to embrace an economic-development mindset "made Greensboro stand out when we were searching for a home."

"Once we visited, we all kind of knew ... this looks like home.

"We're not just looking to build an impressive home, and not simply a factory or a headquarters, but a global epicenter for the future of aviation," O'Leary said. "An inspiration for further innovation."

Stein said that JetZero's decision to build at PTI "is a vote of confidence in North Carolina's workforce, our universities and community colleges, and our long aerospace tradition."

Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said that "what JetZero is building is a powerful example of how investments in people, places and partnerships help make North Carolina First in Opportunity."

Palah Saleh, head of corporate development for Alaska Airlines, said the airline chose to invest early in JetZero because "we saw the enormous potential for the industry and the traveling public."

"Your vision of cleaner, safer and dramatically more efficient air travel aligns perfectly with ours," Saleh said.

"We remain committed to this program, not only as investors, but as operators. We have 94 years of experience flying in some of the world's most challenging environments."

Saleh said that while the airline is focused on conservative and disciplined financial operations, "it has never prevented us from recognizing a once-in-a-generation innovation when we see one.

"True breakthroughs only arrive rarely in aviation, and when they do they change everything. The next great leap in commercial aircraft design is beginning right here in North Carolina."

The manufacturer is moving its headquarters from Long Beach, Calif., to PTI. The Long Beach workforce is about 200, primarily design and engineering teams.

JetZero initially set a timeline for its initial demonstrator test flight to take off in 2027 and for its Z4 aircraft to be available for commercial flight service by 2030.

The goal is to produce up to 20 Z4S per month.

In the announcement about the groundbreaking, JetZero mentioned that commercial flight service is now projected to start "in the early 2030s."

Last month, the state's Economic Investment Committee voted to allow JetZero to reduce its workforce targets for 2027 and 2028 and still qualify for annual state incentives.

As a result, JetZero remains eligible for full Job Development Investment Grant incentives for 2027 even if it does not have any full-time or contract employees by the end of that year.

Dan da Silva, JetZero's president and chief operating officer, submitted the request to the committee on May 19.

"Because of delays in state budget funding, which have affected the ability to start our construction, the company requests modifications to its original projections," da Silva wrote.

Da Silva did not provide specific details of how the state budget stalemate affects the manufacturer.

The original goal was to have at least 1,047 employees by Dec. 31, 2027, to be fully eligible, or 838 jobs to meet the 80% minimum to qualify for incentives.

For 2028, JetZero's original hiring goal was to reach 1,917 to qualify for full incentives for that year. The amended requirement is 1,438.

JetZero said it would ramp up hiring during 2029 to achieve the original goal of at least 3,020 employees by Dec. 31, 2029.

The committee approved giving JetZero another year - to 2037 - to reach its full production milestones.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 9:39 AM.