United Airlines announced it was ordering 15 supersonic planes with the ability to travel at Mach 1.7, faster than the speed of sound from the Denver-based startup Boom. Nearly two decades since the last supersonic passenger flight, of the British-French airliner Concorde took off the supersonic planes are set to return to the runways by 2029.
Boom claims to produce an eco-friendly aircraft with ‘net-zero carbon emissions’ set to fly with 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Supersonic vehicles in the past have been flagged for their high use of jet fuels, causing extensive environmental damage.
The new supersonic ‘Overture’ aircraft will become the world’s fastest commercial airliner, reducing travel time by about half of today’s planes. The Overture aircraft would travel at the speed 1,805 kmph with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. It could carry 65 to 88 passengers and reach an altitude of 60,000 ft. It aims for Zero Overland noise.
Supersonic aircraft are planes that can fly faster than the speed of sound. The technology for supersonic flights is actually over 70 years old, but only recently has been used for commercial flying. Before 1976, when the first commercial supersonic flight took off, the planes were used entirely for military purposes.