Delta Partners With Maeve Aerospace to Make Hybrid Regional Aircraft

Not so far from now, your Delta regional flight might be aboard the odd-looking jet in the picture above— no side engines, just two props spinning on either side of the tail behind the radically low-slung wing.

The airline just announced that it has aligned with Maeve Aerospace as part of its Sustainability 2023 Road Map, a strategy that includes other aviation firms focused on reducing carbon emissions. These partners include JetZero, with its blended-wing-body aircraft, Joby’s all-electric S4 eVTOL air taxi, and the world’s largest commercial jet builders, Airbus and Boeing, which are both exploring aerodynamic design and alternative propulsion solutions.

Delta’s support, for the moment, doesn’t extend to investing in the firm or committing to buying a specific number of aircraft. But the company will be Maeve’s official North American commercial airlines partner. “Delta is providing operational expertise to accelerate the development of the Maeve Jet aircraft,” Sangita Sharma, the brand’s director of sustainable skies lab, tells Robb Report. “This includes everything from ground operations and cabin interior design to maintenance to bring the aircraft to commercial viability.” Maeve entered into a similar agreement with Japan Airlines in June.

Passengers wanting to fly the MJ500 regional aircraft will need some patience. Martin Nüsseler, Maeve’s CTO, says the first flight tests won’t happen until 2030. “We’re hopeful for entry into service in the early-to-mid 2030s,” he tells Robb Report.

The wait could be worth the emissions savings. If the project is successful, it could serve as one aircraft to replace Delta’s aging fleet of Boeing 717s. The MJ500 might also appeal to other airline manufacturers since it comes in three configurations for 76 to 100 passengers. The Delta version has a three-class layout, with seating in economy and economy plus being five abreast, and business class having two seats on each side of the aisle. The designers say the MJ500 will be quieter than a typical single-aisle jet since the engines are positioned at the rear.

The MJ500 has a hybrid-electric engine that, on the exterior, appears to look more like a turboprop than a jet engine, but its jet-like performance sets it apart from anything in the turboprop class, with a 0.75 top cruise speed, a 1,450-mile range, and the ability to cruise at higher altitudes to avoid weather and turbulence. Developed with Pratt and Whitney Canada, the MJ500 engine is also designed to achieve 40 percent fuel reductions compared to a conventional aircraft engine. The fuel savings come through the hybrid propulsion and a high-aspect-ratio wing design.

“The electric component of the engine helps with takeoff, the wings can then be optimized for cruise, and the electric power can overall support low-speed performance,” says Nuesseler. The system is also designed to recharge the batteries during its descent.

Netherlands-based Maeve says the new tech will bring down operational costs by 20 percent, music to the ears of commercial airlines such as Delta (and the rest of us who fly) that continues to battle the rising costs of commercial flight.

Delta, however, insists its end game is loftier than that. “While driving toward transformative technologies that strengthen our network and redefine regional air travel remains a key priority, we’re equally focused on safety and a more sustainable future of flight,” said Kristen Bojko, Delta’s vice president of fleet, in a statement.