You could be able to take a flight on an American Airlines supersonic jet before the decade is up. The airline has agreed to buy at least 20 of Colorado-based Boom Supersonic’s still-in-development Overture supersonic aircraft. The only information provided by the parties was that American Airlines had made a “non-refundable deposit.”
With its promise to restart passenger flights at supersonic speeds, Boom Supersonic has recently generated some buzz. Since the Concorde was retired in 2003 as a result of exorbitant expenses and negative publicity following a horrific crash in which all 109 passengers and crew members perished in 2000, there hasn’t been a viable alternative to this for almost 20 years. With a top speed of Mach 2, the Concorde could cut travel times in half. For that luxury, passengers paid up to $10,000 per seat.
Aviation experts have questioned whether passengers would be interested in a high-end, extremely quick flight. However, Boom Supersonic’s succession of funding indicates that someone is intrigued. American Airlines is responsible for 20 Overture aircraft and has the option to acquire a further 20 in the future. This comes after United Airlines announced its intention to buy 15 of the aircraft in 2021. Boom Supersonic received a $60 million funding from the US military to construct the aircraft, which might be used for troop transport.
Although Boom Supersonic is still in the engineering prototype stage, concept images depict a 205-foot-long vehicle with an opulent cabin for all 65-88 passengers. It could go from Miami to London in under five hours and from Los Angeles to Honolulu in under three hours thanks to its over 5,000-mile range and top speed of Mach 1.7 (about 1,300 miles per hour). Similar to the Concorde, the Overture cannot fly at supersonic speeds over land due to the audible sonic boom that results from doing so.
The exorbitant expense and negative environmental effects of supersonic fuel have been among the factors causing analysts to be dubious about its reintroduction. The Overture, according to the business, will be completely carbon neutral once it is finished because of alternative fuel sources. Boom anticipates placing a finished aircraft on the ground in 2025, followed by the first test flights in 2026. As early as 2029, commercial flights may be possible.
