Boom Supersonic: is the ‘son of Concorde’ just a fantasy?

Hopes that supersonic passenger planes might boom again have been aired from time to time ever since Concorde’s last flight in 2003, said Graeme Murray in The Mirror. Now, they are soaring, on the back of the news that American Airlines has purchased 20 Overture jets from the Colorado-based manufacturer Boom Supersonic. Two other big airlines – Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines – have also placed orders for the plane, dubbed “son of Concorde” by its makers, which is set to begin production in 2025 and “aims to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuels”. Founder CEO Blake Scholl said he hoped to consign jet lag to history; some have speculated that the first commercial flights could run as early as 2026.

Overture is certainly a speedy bird, said Rupert Neate in The Observer. It promises top speeds of Mach 1.7: below Concorde’s Mach 2.04, but “twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft” – nearly halving times on many routes. Concorde was “a technological marvel for the 1960s”, says Scholl. “But they weren’t focused on the economics.” More efficient technology means “we can get the cost right down”. The plane’s 65-80 seats will initially be priced “at business-class rates”, eventually falling to “standard” prices.

Don’t be seduced by Boom’s supersonic vision, said Steff Chávez in the FT. Its claims about profitable “ultrafast jet travel” have been met with “intense industry scepticism”. The Overture, which currently lacks an engine-maker, is only “a paper aeroplane right now”, according to AeroDynamic Advisory. Others reckon the firm is also guilty of massive “greenwashing”. Boom has so far raised at least $270m from investors. It will need billions more to complete the plane. “Orders from some of the world’s largest airlines have given some credibility to a project that many analysts and aviation executives say will never come to fruition.”

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