United Airlines buys 15 Boom Supersonic airplanes
United Airlines today announced that it has signed a deal with Boom Supersonic to buy fifteen of its supersonic Overture airplanes.
Under the terms of the agreement, United will purchase 15 of Boom’s ‘Overture’ airliners, once Overture meets United’s demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements, with an option for an additional 35 aircraft. The companies will work together on meeting those requirements before delivery. Once operational, Overture is expected to be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon from day one, optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026 and expected to carry passengers by 2029.
Boom has been developing this supersonic passenger plane since 2016, though little progress has appeared to take place during most of the last five years. This contract appears to be the company’s first real sale. It also appears that it makes United a partner in the plane’s development.
Meanwhile, another company, Aerion, is developing its own supersonic passenger jet, in partnership with Boeing and scheduled for launch in 2023.
We shall have to wait to see which company wins the race to begin commercial flights.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
United Airlines today announced that it has signed a deal with Boom Supersonic to buy fifteen of its supersonic Overture airplanes.
Under the terms of the agreement, United will purchase 15 of Boom’s ‘Overture’ airliners, once Overture meets United’s demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements, with an option for an additional 35 aircraft. The companies will work together on meeting those requirements before delivery. Once operational, Overture is expected to be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon from day one, optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). It is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026 and expected to carry passengers by 2029.
Boom has been developing this supersonic passenger plane since 2016, though little progress has appeared to take place during most of the last five years. This contract appears to be the company’s first real sale. It also appears that it makes United a partner in the plane’s development.
Meanwhile, another company, Aerion, is developing its own supersonic passenger jet, in partnership with Boeing and scheduled for launch in 2023.
We shall have to wait to see which company wins the race to begin commercial flights.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Great news!
Something to look at besides boring, also-ran twin-jets!
Considering sonic footprint was one of the factors in the demise of the SST, not sure ‘Boom’ is a positive PR move.
https://simpleflying.com/boeing-2707-cancelled/#:~:text=The%20Boeing%202707%20Super%20Sonic%20Transport%20%28SST%29%20was,before%20two%20prototypes%20of%20the%20plane%20were%20completed.
Sorry, that’s a long URL.
If the company can build an SST with current environmentally-friendly tech, sign me up!
“though little progress has appeared to take place during most of the last five years.”
They have rolled out the subscale XB-1 vehicle.
Mach 2.0 to 2.2 seems to me to be a sweet spot. Sydney – L.A. or return works well considering the time zones if you depart at the right times. Need to do it non stop though.
“Mach 2.0 to 2.2 seems to me to be a sweet spot. Sydney – L.A. or return works well considering the time zones if you depart at the right times. Need to do it non stop though.”
Current low fare is circa $3400, second is $4300, third $4800 all for 15 hour non-stop flights with one carry on and one checked bag, one week round trip. ($9700 for 14 hour flight). The question is, at those prices, how big of a market are we talking about and what premium it is willing to pay to cut that to about 7 or so so hours (1 each subsonic departing and arriving, 5 at Mach 2)?
We’re not talking about your average tourist, so how much business traffic is there (a woman I once knew was sent by her law firm on two day round trips to London by Concorde – hey, the customer is paying for it, so put it in the billings)(? Can you make a profit on the “carriage trade”?