Delta invites SkyMiles members into JetZero and Joby innovation push tied to Paramount+

Delta Air Lines is bringing some of its loyalty customers into the workshop of the future of flight, using a partnership ecosystem that spans Paramount+ and new aviation developers including JetZero and Joby Aviation. In an event held at JetZero’s Design Center in Long Beach, California, selected SkyMiles members and Delta sustainable-aviation partners explored concept aircraft aimed at improving sustainability and reshaping the passenger experience, Delta said in a recent update.

The gathering builds on Delta’s “Delta Sync” partnership with Paramount+, which is using the culture of Star Trek to frame what the airline calls real-world aviation progress. Delta said the experience began with an immersion in Star Trek themes, including franchise artifacts and ideas tied to how the show has inspired generations to imagine technology advancing exploration and travel.

From there, guests moved to the aviation side of the story. Delta said visitors viewed technologies taking shape today, including JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft and Joby’s electric air taxi. Delta also said select customers took part in a collaborative innovation workshop with partners connected to its Sustainable Skies Lab, which Delta describes as an innovation incubator designed to pair the airline with emerging technologies that could reduce aviation emissions.

Delta framed the event as a direct channel for customer input into aircraft design. It said the two-day workshop was the first time Delta customers were invited inside JetZero’s facility, and it included more detail on JetZero’s blended-wing-body concept. Delta attributed a potential performance claim to the design, saying it has the potential to be up to 50% more fuel efficient than today’s conventional aircraft designs.

In comments tied to the event, Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said the airline launched the Sustainable Skies Lab to partner with companies bringing “revolutionary technologies” to life. She positioned the customer experience as a bridge between imagination and engineering, saying collaboration and innovation are now turning what was once speculative into work underway in aviation.

JetZero CEO and co-founder Tom O’Leary described Delta’s role as an early collaborator, saying Delta was JetZero’s first airline partner. He said the airline’s involvement is intended to ensure that passengers’ voices are heard as JetZero works to eliminate major sources of travel friction. O’Leary also said hearing directly from SkyMiles members is “invaluable” as JetZero approaches the Demonstrator’s first flight at the end of 2027.

Delta also tied its flight-of-the-future message to a broader Paramount+ promotional push. Delta said that to continue celebrating Star Trek’s 60th anniversary, it and Paramount+ launched new customer offerings across the travel journey, although it did not specify what those offerings include in the material provided.

Joby Aviation, one of the companies in Delta’s Sustainable Skies Lab partner network, was part of the event’s focus as well. Delta said Joby is developing an electric air taxi that aims to reimagine how customers get to and from airports, and it noted that Joby completed demonstration flights across New York City earlier this year.

What remains unclear is how Delta plans to translate workshop feedback into specific design changes, timelines, or purchasing decisions. The company did not disclose whether it holds any formal procurement commitments with JetZero or Joby, nor did it provide detailed parameters of the “customer offerings” connected to Star Trek or Delta Sync beyond describing them as spanning the travel journey. Delta also did not provide additional performance metrics beyond the “up to 50% more fuel efficient” statement attributed to the blended-wing-body concept.

For now, The announcement from Delta is that customer engagement is becoming part of sustainability partnerships, not just a marketing wrapper. The immediate watch item is JetZero’s Demonstrator path toward first flight at the end of 2027, alongside Joby’s continued progress with electric air-taxi demonstrations. Delta’s customers will likely continue to be positioned as a feedback loop as these concepts move from design toward operational reality, at least as far as Delta chooses to make that process visible.