Gulf Air has signed a letter of intent with California-based JetZero for its Z4 aircraft, taking up preferential delivery positions in the early 2030s. The agreement, signed at the Farnborough International Airshow on 21 July, supports the airline’s plans to grow its network across Europe and Asia.
It’s a nonbinding commitment for now, and Gulf Air hasn’t disclosed how many aircraft it’s after. But the move makes it the first Middle Eastern carrier to back the programme, and the first airline customer for the Z4 outside the United States.
What the Z4 Offers
For more than 70 years, Gulf Air has connected Bahrain to destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The Z4 fits into a broader push to modernise the fleet and sharpen efficiency across its long-haul routes.
JetZero built the Z4 for a gap in the market that most manufacturers have left alone: aircraft with 250-seat capacity and a 5,000 nautical mile range. The blended-wing design is where the real savings come from. JetZero says it burns up to 50% less fuel than the tube-and-wing aircraft currently flying these routes.
The cabin looks different too. Wider boarding doors, six connected interior cabins, and overhead bin space assigned to every seat rather than fought over on boarding.
Why Gulf Air Is Betting on It Now
Martin Gauss, who took over as Gulf Air’s chief executive earlier this year, framed the deal as part of a wider repositioning for the airline. Speaking at Farnborough, he said Gulf Air wanted to be a launch operator in the region, working with JetZero from an early stage to shape the aircraft around the airline’s own needs.
“This order is a part of the strategy of Gulf Air,” Gauss said. “It is a big step forward, so that Gulf Air gets back into a position it used to have, to be a leader in innovation in the industry.” He pointed back to the airline’s founding 76 years ago, when it was the first of its kind in the Gulf, and said the current strategy is about bringing it back to that standing.
Tom O’Leary, JetZero’s chief executive and co-founder, echoed the point from the manufacturer’s side. He said Gulf Air is building for its future as a premium connector, and that the Z4 gives the airline expanded network options at a lower cost per seat mile, alongside the redesigned cabin experience.
Where JetZero Stands on Getting the Aircraft Built
None of this happens without a working factory. JetZero broke ground in June 2026 on an 8 million square foot manufacturing site at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, roughly twice the size of Boeing’s main plant in Everett, Washington. Initial production out of that facility will go toward testing and certification rather than customer deliveries, with entry into service still expected in the early 2030s.
The company also secured support at Farnborough from Japan Airlines and signed a separate letter of interest with the US Export-Import Bank to explore up to $3 billion in financing for the Greensboro campus. Both agreements are frameworks rather than firm commitments, and the Z4 itself still has to clear FAA certification, a process with no real precedent for a blended-wing commercial aircraft of this size.
Gulf Air now joins United Airlines and Alaska Airlines among the carriers that have made commitments toward the Z4.
