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Saudi Researchers Use Quantum Computing To Design More Efficient Airplanes
To build its quantum expertise, KAUST has partnered with Zapata Computing, a quantum software company based in Boston, Massachusetts.
It’s estimated that air travel produces roughly two percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. That alone is a good enough reason to explore innovative designs and create more efficient airplanes, but there’s also the fact that airlines operate on very slim margins, so every bit of fuel they manage to save can go a long way in helping them make more profit.
While computers have been helping engineers and designers optimize the aerodynamic properties of airplanes for decades, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are the first to explore the absolute cutting edge of what is currently possible in science and engineering by using quantum computing.
Unlike regular computers, which can, at the most fundamental level, represent only two states using transistors (0 = off, 1 = on), quantum computers can be in a 1 or 0 quantum state, or in a superposition of the 1 and 0 state, which essentially means that they can be on and off at the same time. This allows them to represent all possible system states simultaneously, massively speeding up certain specialized computations.
To build its quantum expertise, KAUST has partnered with Zapata Computing, a quantum software company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Zapata will provide its Orquestra toolset, which promises to greatly simplify the process of conducting research in quantum computing.
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“Quantum computing is still very novel, but it’s going to be a truly disruptive technology that will provide enormous cross-industry opportunities,” said Matteo Parsani, Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computational Science at KAUST. “Building a knowledge base of quantum expertise at KAUST in the interdisciplinary field of computational fluid dynamics can only be a good thing both for the university and for the Kingdom.”
The potential of quantum computing to accelerate progress the same way traditional computers have is truly immense, but the technology is still in its infancy, and it may take researchers some time to produce useful results. Hopefully, the team at KAUST will be able to design more efficient airplanes taking us further in a cleaner fashion.
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AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs
Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.
AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.
The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.
“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.
The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.
To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.
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Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.
Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.
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