Boom and United Airlines on Thursday announced an agreement to purchase 15 Overture supersonic jets and an option to purchase another 35 aircraft. It is the first order made by a main carrier for the future jetliner capable of flying at Mach 1.7.
The agreement is conditional on Overture meeting United’s demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements. The two companies pledged to work together to achieve these goals until the aircraft enters into operation, scheduled for 2029.
According to Boom, the roll out of the first Overture should take place in 2025 and the first flight in 2026.
“United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today’s advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes. Boom’s vision for the future of commercial aviation, combined with the industry’s most robust route network in the world, will give business and leisure travelers access to a stellar flight experience,” said United CEO Scott Kirby.
The Overture will be able to be used in more than 500 destinations with travel time about half of current commercial jets, said Boom.
Among the potential routes to be operated by United are Newark to London in just three and a half hours, Newark to Frankfurt in four hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours.
“The world’s first purchase agreement for net-zero carbon supersonic aircraft marks a significant step toward our mission to create a more accessible world,” said Blake Scholl, Boom Supersonic founder and CEO.
Breath after end of Aerion
With a capacity of up to 88 passengers, the Overture will be a three-engine supersonic jet that will fly at an altitude of 60,000 feet with a range of 4,250 nm (7,870 km).
Boom’s development program is the most advanced among startups planning a resumption of civil supersonic planes, but it depends on the success of the XB-1 prototype, a small aircraft that resembles a fighter jet.
The XB-1 was unveiled in 2020, but has yet to make its maiden flight. According to Scholl, the one-seat jet is expected to take off for the first time between the end of this year and the beginning of 2022.
In any case, the announcement of the agreement with United Airlines is an encouragement after the end of Aerion’s AS2 business jet project.
The company, which claimed to have a billionaire backlog, promised to build its assembly line in Florida and had partnerships with the FlightSafety Foundation and NetJets to make the project viable. However, the lack of investments was fatal to the company’s plans.
