Triangle-Shaped Airplane Aims to Cut Fuel Consumption in Half

Over a century of commercial aviation, from the Ford Trimotor in the 1920s to today’s Boeing Co. and Airbus SE jetliners, there’s been one constant: Airplanes are virtually always long tubes sporting wings with engines bolted on underneath and a tail stabilizer at the back. Inside there’s a similarly standard layout—one or two aisles flanked by rows of seats, notwithstanding occasional extravagances such as staircases or bars for premium-class passengers.

Startup JetZero Inc. is taking aim at that design with a radical proposition: a triangle-shaped aircraft resembling a giant manta ray in the sky, boasting a shorter fuselage that’s wide ...