Kuehne+Nagel and Natilus partner to bring blended-wing aircraft to commercial air freight
- Strategic partnership to explore operational feasibility
- Analysing economic and sustainability benefits
- Collaboration includes route modelling, emissions accounting, operational cost analysis, and engagement with aviation industry
SCHINDELLEGI, Switzerland and SAN DIEGO, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world's leading logistics providers, and Natilus, an aerospace manufacturer of blended-wing-body aircraft, today announced a strategic partnership to study the environmental, economic, and operational impact of integrating Natilus's hyper-efficient blended-wing aircraft into commercial air logistics operations.
Leveraging its knowledge of the air logistics industry, Kuehne+Nagel will collaborate with Natilus to explore the operational feasibility of implementing its aircraft within the industry, focusing on route modelling, environmental impact assessment, operational cost analysis, and engagement with the aviation industry.
The first to commercialise blended-wing-body design, Natilus is developing a family of aircraft designed to unlock improved aviation economics by reducing fuel consumption by 30% while increasing payload capability by 40%. Together, the companies will assess how blended-wing-body aircraft will operate within existing fleets to improve logistics efficiency, enhance service offerings, and reduce carbon emissions in freight forwarding.
Kuehne+Nagel is actively exploring opportunities to implement more sustainable business practices for their customers. The logistics partner for 400,000 customers worldwide, Kuehne+Nagel is pursuing innovations, such as looking into new airframe designs to reduce the environmental as well as the economic impact of air freight.
"At Kuehne+Nagel, we have consistently led the way in making air freight logistics more sustainable and this collaboration with Natilus is another example of how we continue to explore new technologies for more environmentally friendly and cost-effective air cargo solutions," said Holger Ketz, SVP Network and Carrier Management Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel.
Committed to delivering a comprehensive assessment of the potential CO2e emissions saved, Kuehne+Nagel and Natilus will partner with select air freight carriers to demonstrate benefits of complementing existing fleets with blended-wing-body aircraft.
"Our partnership with Kuehne+Nagel is a meaningful step in helping the industry better understand the powerful advantages of blended-wing-body aircraft, which will become a blueprint for other logistics companies over the next decade," said Aleksey Matyushev, Co-Founder and CEO at Natilus. "We look forward to collaborating with Kuehne+Nagel and integrating our family of blended-wing-body aircraft into its world-class global logistics network to redefine efficiency and sustainability in freight."
About Kuehne+Nagel
With more than 82,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries, the Kuehne+Nagel Group is one of the world's leading logistics providers. Headquartered in Switzerland, Kuehne+Nagel is listed in the Swiss blue-chip stock market index, the SMI. The Group is the global number one in air and sea logistics and has strong market positions in road and contract logistics. Kuehne+Nagel is the logistics partner of choice for 400,000 customers worldwide. Using its global network, logistics expertise and data-based insights, the Group provides end-to-end supply chain solutions for global companies and industries.
About Natilus
Natilus is a San Diego-based company developing a family of hyper-efficient blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft designed to transport people and cargo more sustainably and efficiently than ever before. Natilus's BWB aircraft unlock improved aviation economics by reducing fuel consumption by 30% while increasing payload capability by 40%. Founded in 2016, the Natilus team is comprised of innovators from General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, Skunkworks, SpaceX and Piper Aircraft. Learn more at natilus.co.
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SOURCE Natilus