An increasing amount of people and airlines are betting on a supersonic future. While the age of supersonic commercial flights came to a close with the last flight of the Concorde on 23 November, 2003, it may still be resurrected by the likes of Boom Supersonic and Venus Aerospace. American Airlines has announced it has placed an order for up to twenty supersonic aircraft from Boom Supersonic. It also has an option on a further forty jets.
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Having one of the largest airlines in the world buy into a supersonic travel industry gives the firms working on the new generation of faster-than-sound jets a major foothold. How much they are spending on these twenty jets hasn’t been disclosed, but they have mentioned that the initial deposit it has made for it is non-refundable. The agreement is still subject to change depending on the outcome of American’s safety testing and also Boom’s ability to deliver on its promises despite never having built or flown a full-scale supersonic jet before.
“Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures,” American Airlines said.
Boom’s plan is to roll out the first Overture jet in 2025, which will start test flights in 2026 and is expected to start carrying passengers by 2029. Boom claims its supersonic jets will eventually be able to travel from New York to London (normally a seven-hour flight) in just 3.5 hours or Los Angeles to Sydney (typically a 15-hour trip) in six hours and 45 minutes. It could cost as much as $5,000 per ticket for longer flights, according to the company.
Boom also has a similar agreement with United Airlines, who have pre-ordered fifteen jets and have an option for a further thirty-five. Boom also has contracts or memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce and the US Air Force.
