Two Airplanes Lugging Cargo Together Is Texas Startup's Big Bet

Doron Appelboim, co-founder and chief technology officer of Aerolane, attaches a tow line to an aerocart cargo glider at the Aerolane flight test center in Lubbock, Texas on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Aerolane is testing a business plan to pull cargo gliders with small freighter planes that could haul almost twice as much stuff with only slight increases to costs by towing a second plane that's been hollowed out and filled with packages and has a potential savings of as much as 65% less fuel burn when the gliders are purpose built for aerodynamics. Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg via Getty Images