In this work, the local correlation-based one-equation transition model (Menter, F.R., Smirnov, P.E., Liu, T. and Avancha, R., A one-equation local correlation-based transition model. Flow, Turbulence and Combustion, vol. 95, no. 4, pp. 583–619, 2015.) is transformed into a zero-equation transition model. The new model provides an attractive choice in terms of quick implementation of a transition model in existing turbulent flow solvers with Menter's shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model, as it only introduces three extra source terms in the transport equation of turbulent kinetic energy. The model is validated against a set of benchmark flat-plate test cases: T3 series and SK, and also subsonic flows past two different airfoils: Aerospatiale A-airfoil (Re=2.1million) and E387 (Re=0.2million), and finally applied to a transonic flow over 3D DLR-F5 wing (Re=1.5million). Results show that the proposed model produces similar transition prediction as the one-equation transition model, with a reduced computational effort. The computations are performed with an in-house finite-volume solver for compressible turbulent flows on block-structured grids. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd