Summary:
- JetZero will build a $4.7B factory in Greensboro, creating up to 15,000 jobs to produce its fuel-efficient Z4 aircraft.
- Critics cite JetZero’s inexperience and NC’s record of failed incentive deals, but supporters see long-term gains for infrastructure and aviation.
- Backed by the U.S. Air Force, major airlines, Siemens, and NC’s community colleges, the project has strong partnerships and workforce support.
On June 12, 2025, the aviation startup company JetZero announced that it would build its first advanced manufacturing and final assembly factory in Greensboro, North Carolina, on the Piedmont Triad International Airport Grounds.
JetZero claims its Greensboro factory will generate nearly 15,000 high-tech jobs as part of its $4.7 billion investment. JetZero cites talent, infrastructure, and “business-friendly culture” as its reasons for choosing North Carolina for its first factory.
JetZero will manufacture the Z4 passenger aircraft. The Z4 aircraft will hold 250 passengers, have a 5,000 nautical mile range, and is 50% more fuel efficient. When the factory reaches full run rate by the late 2030s, it will manufacture 20 Z4 aircraft per month, completely transforming the passenger aircraft experience and market.
Construction is set to begin in the first half of 2026, and career opportunities will be posted on JetZero’s career page and NCworks.gov.
Recent updates
On August 7th, economic developers in High Point stated that Greensboro is well-positioned to capitalize on the JetZero investment. The factory will likely draw new businesses and ancillary suppliers. Similarly, Guilford Technical Community College is already seeing growing enrollment in its aviation programs. In High Point, a proposed redevelopment project is underway for the vacant Showplace West office building. The buyer aims to create 130 new apartments.
According to JetZero CEO Tom O’Leary, the first Z4 plane has just entered production, with the design completed in May. The cockpit section has undergone “tooling and the wings” and the “test article” process. JetZero plans to have this demonstrator plane complete and approved by the FAA for a flyover at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Skepticism is warranted
While the project has the full-fledged support of Governor Stein and appears very promising, there are reasons to be skeptical of its success. JetZero was founded just four years ago, has not completed the first, physical Z4, and the factory’s timeline spans to the late 2030s.
Conservative Charlotte Observer opinion writer Andrew Dunn noted that, as of February 23, 2025, there were six state incentive deals that had failed. In 2024, there were 20 failed state incentive projects, and in 2023, 19 projects were unsuccessful.
Economic state incentive projects are states offering grants and tax breaks to companies, such as JetZero, in exchange for job creation. Dunn’s analysis found that in the last five years, North Carolina has offered companies $2.7 billion in incentives but has only paid out $233 million; he also found that of the promised 211,881 jobs, only 99,935 jobs have materialized.
Often, companies will cancel the projects without filing the paperwork. Indeed, as Dunn’s analysis notes, for every two deals North Carolina makes, one fails.
Reasons to be optimistic
JetZero has pledged to create more than the promised 14,500 jobs. The deal provides capital for investments and upgrades at Piedmont Triad International Airport. Additionally, the deal puts North Carolina on the radar for future aviation investments and might encourage other companies to locate in North Carolina.
The incentive deal isn’t just promises and headlines: most of the terms are performance-based—contingent on investment and hiring goals.
There are also players with skin in the game: the US Air Force has agreed to invest $235 million into JetZero, and United Airlines has promised to buy 200 of the Z4 planes. Additionally, Alaska Airlines will invest in and purchase planes from JetZero. Fourteen airlines have joined JetZero’s Airline Working Group to give suggestions based on their needs in fitting the Z4 into the future airline market.
JetZero also partnered with Siemens and its Smart Infrastructure, Electrification, and Automation divisions, headquartered in North Carolina, to streamline production using AI tools and potentially reduce the production timeline for the demonstrator plane by years.
The North Carolina Community College System, comprising 58 community colleges, is developing a training program valued at more than $22 million to prepare the workforce required for the JetZero factory.
A win-win deal
While the JetZero project is in its early stages with inevitable roadblocks ahead, there are more reasons to be optimistic than skeptical about the project. Countless reputable businesses with investments and strategic partnerships bolster the strength and longevity of the deal.
If, for some reason, this project fails in the next few years, North Carolina will still have made significant improvements. At the very least, PTI will have improved, business leaders will have their eyes on North Carolina, and the NC community college system will have collaborated to meet the needs of the growing airline industry.
