Supersonic flights
United Airlines announced that it has purchased 15 aircraft from Boom Supersonic, with an option to purchase 35 more at a later date.
The Overture, Boom’s first commercial supersonic jet, has yet to be built and has not received official approval. Boom claims that the airplane can reach 1.7 times the speed of sound, which means it can reach 2082 kilometers per hour. The aircraft will be able to complete the New York – London flight in an incredible 3,5 hours. The San Francisco – Tokyo flight is expected to take around 6 hours.
“Boom’s vision for the future of commercial aviation, combined with the industry’s strongest network in the world, will give business and leisure travelers access to an excellent flying experience,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “There will be a revolution in the private aircraft charter industry.” he added.
While terms of sale have not been disclosed, the companies believe the deal will yield immediate benefits. Since its founding in 2014, Denver-based Boom Supersonic has raised $270 million in capital and has grown to 150 employees. For founder and CEO Blake Scholl, placing a firm order from a legacy airline confirms his vision of bringing back supersonic flights.
A crucial step towards zero carbon
The supersonic Concorde made commercial flights from 1976 to October 2003. “The world’s first purchase agreement for net zero carbon supersonic aircraft is an important step towards our mission to create a more accessible world,” Scholl said in a statement.
Ordering Boom supersonic jets for United fits the strategy Kirby has outlined since becoming CEO a year ago.
Kirby is aggressively trying to develop opportunities for the airline. Earlier this year, United acquired a stake in eVTOL start-up Archer Aviation, while partnering with Mesa Airlines to order 200 electric aircraft designed to fly short distances. This happened after United announced a multimillion-dollar investment in a carbon emissions initiative and committed to being carbon neutral by 2050.
First flight scheduled for 2026
Part of what makes purchasing supersonic jets attractive to United is Boom’s plan to power the aircraft with engines to run on sustainable aviation fuel. Still, time will tell whether Boom’s plan to bring back supersonic commercial airplanes will come to fruition.
The company plans to make its maiden flight later this year with a demonstration jet called the XB-1. If it goes as planned, Boom will begin production of Overture in 2023 and make its maiden flight in 2026. The biggest hurdle will be getting certification by regulators, including the Federal Aviation Administration.
Once that happens, United hopes to target long-haul international flights between major cities around the world, such as San Francisco to Tokyo and New York to Paris.
United’s vice president of corporate development Mike Leskinen said Overture could significantly transform some of the airline’s busiest international routes. “If we can shorten the flight time from the US East Coast to certain cities in Europe and do it with lower emissions, we think it’s very attractive,” he added.
