That setup is said to enable it to use 20 percent less fuel than the Airbus A350 while still carrying the same number of passengers. R. John Hansman, a professor of aeronautics at MIT, said that similar proposals had run into problems. But Justus Benad, who came up with the concept as a college student in 2015, said that it will take “people who are passionate about new designs to make an investment and really research more” to find out if it’s feasible.