The narrow design allows supersonic jets to fly far faster.
(Photo: dpa)
new York American Airlines (AA) has ordered 20 new Overture supersonic aircraft from US start-up Boom Supersonic. In addition, an option for a further 40 machines was agreed. This is reported by the business broadcaster CNCB.
Denver, Colorado-based Boom was founded in 2014 and is valued at $1.2 billion, according to analytics firm Pitchbook. AA competitor United Airlines had already ordered 15 machines in 2021.
Boom CEO Blake Scholl promised on CNBC “faster, more comfortable and more sustainable flights”, in five hours it should go from Miami to London. A flight from Seattle to Tokyo, which normally takes just over 10 hours, could be done in six hours on an Overture jet, according to Boom.
The projected jet will reach a speed of Mach 1.7 (2,098 kilometers per hour). So far, of course, this is still a long way off: the start-up is years away from building its first commercial aircraft. Commissioning is targeted for the mid-2020s.
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The supersonic aircraft are to be built in North Carolina and carry 65 to 80 passengers. They should also be able to fly with sustainable aviation fuel that causes fewer emissions.
The dream of supersonic flight is back
“Supersonic flight will be an important part of our ability to offer our customers something special,” said Derek Kerr, chief financial officer of American Airlines. The purchase amount is paid as a non-refundable deposit and has not been disclosed. The stock market welcomed the plan: AA shares, which had been badly hit in 2022, rose by more than one percent.
If things go according to boom, the company’s own machines will be the spiritual successor to the Concorde, the “Queen of the Skies”, as aviation enthusiasts call it. The elegant supersonic jet operated by British Airways and Air France flew from London to New York in three hours from 1976. In 1997, the ticket cost just under $8,000 – but many passengers didn’t even know the price, a study showed. The antechamber had booked.
After the crash of Air France Flight 4590 in 2000, their star fell: the slim machines with the lowerable nose were showing their age and the maintenance costs were too high. The end finally came in 2003, the dream of supersonic flight seemed over.
But as is the case with dreams, sometimes they return years later. And in at least one respect, the Concorde will continue to be one step ahead: it flew at Mach 2.04, i.e. at 2,167 kilometers per hour. An immortal record.
More: Boom Supersonic and Tupolev want to build supersonic jets for business travel