The day after Otto Aviation announced it will build its Phantom 3500 jet in Jacksonville, company CEO Paul Touw said June 17 the aircraft would achieve net-zero carbon emissions when it enters service around 2030.
Otto says the Phantom 3500 will burn 60% less fuel than similar-sized jets, reducing emissions by 90% when combined with sustainable aviation fuel.
The aviation industry’s goal is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The Phantom 3500 is the result of relentless innovation and bold thinking,” Touw said at a press briefing at the International Paris Air Show in France. “By achieving carbon neutrality 20 years ahead of the 2050 target, we’re not just meeting expectations—Otto is redefining what’s possible in aviation. It’s a transformative step toward a future where cutting-edge technology and sustainability go hand in hand.”
Otto also offered details about suppliers for the plane, which will be assembled in at Craig Airport in West Jacksonville. The company also will move its headquarters there from Texas.
The jet’s twin FJ44 engines will be made by Pontiac, Michigan-based Williams International.
In May, Williams announced a $1 billion plan to build jet engines in Crestview in Okaloosa County about 320 miles west of Craig Airport. A manufacturing facility will be built in three phases in the Shoal River Industrial Park.
In 2022, the state of Florida awarded $3.2 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to expand manufacturing in Okaloosa County.
“Williams International’s investment in the Florida Panhandle will create more than 330 jobs, and is a success story of the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund in Northwest Florida,” Gov. Ron Desantis said in a May news release announcing the deal.
Williams’ first 250,000-square-foot facility is planned for completion in late 2026. The second phase is planned for completion in 2028 and the final phase by 2035/36.
Williams also has plants in Pontiac and Ogden, Utah.
Another Otto supplier is Italian aerospace company Leonardo, which will make the jet’s carbon fiber fuselage at its plant in Grottaglie in southern Italy.
Flying Magazine reported that Otto is also working with Mecaer Aviation, an international provider of aircraft solutions headquartered in Borgomanero, Italy.
The Phantom 3500 will carry nine passengers and use digital displays instead of windows to reduce drag, using laminar flow to boost efficiency.
Otto said it can sell 1,600 aircraft over the 2030-2040 period with around one-third of that total “already spoken for.”
Otto will begin operations at Craig Aiport in Hangar 825, which was vacated by The Boeing Corp.
Otto plans to begin flight tests by early 2027 and aims to achieve certification and enter service in 2030.
Flying Magazine said Otto plans to conduct about three years of flight testing using four production-conforming aircraft and plans to complete a preliminary design review by October.
Aviation International News reported that Otto has raised more than $170 million to date and is expected to close on another round of funding by year-end.
“Right now, the aircraft is at a stage where our design is mostly locked down,” he said, noting that the parts for flight-test vehicle one will arrive in Hangar 825 next year in preparation for assembly.
Flying Magazine said Touw estimated the program will cost $1 billion, with half going toward aircraft development and the rest supporting construction of a final assembly line.