American Airlines has placed an order of 20 supersonic aircraft from Boom Supersonic to bet on the commercial ultra-fast travel after two decades since its predecessor, Concorde’s last flight. American has put down a non-refundable deposit on the planes and also retained options for 40 more Boom Overture flights.
American has stated the agreement is subject to change depending on the outcome of safety testing and Boom’s ability to deliver on aircraft in the promised period. “Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance, and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures,” American said in a statement.
Boom Supersonic aka Boom Technology is building the world’s fastest airliner ‘Overture’ intending to roll it out by 2025. If the jets pass inspections, the aim is to fly in 2026 and to carry passengers by 2029. The supersonic jets will be able to travel from New York to London in just 3.5 hours, half the time of regular aircraft with 65 to 80 passengers onboard. Boom Supersonic has said that tickets could cost as much as $5,000 per seat, but American didn’t reveal any pricing information.
Miami ➡️ London in less than 5hrs? LA ➡️ Honolulu in 3hrs? Wouldn’t that be SUPER? We’re here for it and so is @BoomAero. Learn about our partnership with #BoomSupersonic and the #Overture expected to fly 2x the speed of today’s fastest commercial jets: https://t.co/oWJYW6r6zT. pic.twitter.com/kvdoYWvaal
— americanair (@AmericanAir) August 16, 2022
Supersonic Airliners
Supersonic jets travel faster than the speed of sound, which is over 660mph (1,060km/h) whereas a passenger jet flies at a speed of 560mph (900km/h). When these aircraft fly, the sonic boom caused by the jets traveling faster than the speed of sound can be heard on the ground like a loud explosion or thunderclap.
Boom Overture is a supersonic jet that will come with an extra engine, contoured fuselage, and gull wings. According to Boom, the Overture will fly as fast as Mach 1.7, or 1,304 mph, hence dramatically decreasing the time of trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights. Overland, these planes will fly 20 percent faster than subsonic flights.
In 2003, Concorde, which was developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and British Aircraft Corporation stopped flying. The aircraft was even faster than Boom jets and traveled at a speed of Mach 2.04. The Concorde flew its first supersonic flight in 1976 from New York City to London in three hours. The last commercial flight touched the skies in 2003. High operational and fuel expense is one of the few reasons why Concorde was discontinued.
Earlier in 2021, United Airlines ordered 15 jets from Boom Supersonic, with the option for an additional 35 aircraft depending on safety testing. Rolls-Royce and the US Air Force also have contracts with the company.
