Episode 229 | Optimizing Air Freight with Autonomous Blended Wing Body Aircraft

Aleksey Matyushev, Co-Founder & CEO, Natilus joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss optimizing air freight with autonomous blended wing body (BWB) aircraft. A blended wing aircraft body enables 20% more volumetric space and 30% better fuel efficiency for freight cargo when compared to traditional aircraft design. 10% of the world’s good travel by air freight, yet comprise 90% o the value. With most of the world’s electronics being made in Asia, including the iPhone, air freight plays a vital role in the global supply chain. With a growing global pilot labor shortage, autonomous blended wing body aircrafts can ensure that the world’s supply chain continues to function without hiccups.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of the Air Freight Market2:38 Air Freight Routes8:57 Natilus Flight Distances 10:09 Blended Wing Body (BWB) Design14:07 Economics of Natilus17:59 Manufacturing the Aircraft22:10 Why Build an Autonomous Aircraft?26:14 Fuel28:56 Scaling Manufacturing30:08 Projected Aircraft Costs31:05 Inspiration for Natilus33:58 Future of NatilusRecorded on Thursday September 19, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.