American Airlines joins the betting on faster-than-sound jet travel — but it won’t be ready until 2029
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American Airlines has purchased aircraft that are so fast they can break the sound barrier in an effort to reduce trip times in half.
- American revealed on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement to purchase 20 Overture aircraft from Boom Supersonic, a U.S. business attempting to revive supersonic air travel.
- The aircraft were purchased with a non-refundable deposit by American Airlines, who also had the option to buy a further 40.
- The deal's worth wasn't made public.
- Before any of the aircraft are delivered to American, Boom must comply with industry standard operating performance and safety requirements.
- According to Boom, its flagship Overture jet, which can accommodate 65 to 80 passengers, is anticipated to travel twice as fast as the current fastest commercial aircraft and utilise only aviation fuels that are 100 percent sustainable.
- In 2029, the aeroplane is expected to start carrying paying customers.
- In addition to more than 600 itineraries, the Overture is planned to fly New York to London in just three and a half hours, Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours, and San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours, according to Boom.
- According to its creator, the Overture will be capable of Mach 1.7 speeds over the ocean.
- A Mach number greater than 1 indicates that an item is moving faster than the speed of sound, or supersonic. Commercial aeroplanes made by Airbus and Boeing cruise at about Mach 0.85.
Boom’s latest deal
- Boom's order from American is the most recent in a line of notable contracts the business has won in recent years.
- rival American airline United decided to buy 15 of Boom's Overture aeroplanes last year, and at the start of this year, Boom signed a $60 million research and development deal with the U.S. Air Force.
- By 2020, according to Boom, Virgin Group, the parent firm of airline Virgin Atlantic, and Japan Airlines had each placed 30 orders for the Overture.
How much will it cost to travel?
- Ticket pricing for flights on the Overture will be "similar to today's business class," according to Boom, with airlines deciding the final costs.
- The business claims that because supersonic aircraft fly at greater altitudes than current commercial aircraft, they "fly over most of the turbulence, giving a smoother trip than on subsonic aircraft."
- According to Boom, when the plane surpasses the sound barrier, passengers won't hear or feel a thing.
The new Concorde?
With the retirement of Concorde in 2003, supersonic passenger travel became a thing of the past. Carriers British Airways and Air France attributed their decision to discontinue flying the aircraft to lagging demand and expensive maintenance costs.
In 1996, Concorde broke the record for the quickest transatlantic commercial flight when it travelled 1,250 miles per hour from New York to London in just two hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds.
American Airlines orders 20 supersonic jets
- NewsNation: Dallas American Airlines has committed to purchasing up to 20 supersonic aircraft and has made a non-refundable deposit on those that are still in the planning stages and will take years to fly.
- On Tuesday, neither American nor the supplier Boom Supersonic would disclose any financial information, including the sum of American's deposit.
- American, which has exercised options for 40 additional Boom Overture aircraft, is Boom's second U.S. customer after United Airlines made a comparable commitment for 15 aircraft last year.
- The last Concorde supersonic passenger flight, a British-French aircraft that never gained popularity due to its high cost to both carriers and passengers, was over 20 years ago.
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- When it makes its debut in 2029, according to Boom CEO Blake Scholl, the company's aircraft will be different, with tickets costing between $4,000 and $5,000 to travel in three and a half hours from New York to London.
- According to Scholl, "airlines will be able to do it profitably" because "tens of millions of passengers every year fly in business class on routes where Overture will deliver a large speed-up."
- According to Boom, its aircraft will reach a top speed of 1.7 times the speed of sound, or roughly 1,300 mph, and hold 65 to 80 people.
- Boom's aggressive timetable has been questioned by sceptics, especially in light of how long it has taken Boeing, a well-known manufacturer, to acquire jets or even retrofitsto planes approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
- Notably, Boom does not yet have a confirmed engine supplier. With Rolls Royce and others, it is in conversation.
- According to Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with the consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, "With a supersonic aircraft, you don't design a plane, you develop an engine first." "Until that engine happens, this is just a collection of freehand drawings."
- According to Boom, the aircraft will run solely on sustainable aviation fuel, which is currently in low supply and very expensive and is frequently manufactured from plant material.
- The Overture will be built in North Carolina, according to Boom, a Denver-based company, and it will cost between $6 billion and $8 billion. The aircraft has a $200 million list price, while other manufacturers frequently provide carriers significant reductions.
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Content source: https://fortune.com/2022/08/17/american-airlines-buys-20-overture-aircraft-boom-supersonic/
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