United Airlines will purchase 15 Boom Supersonic Overture planes as soon as US officials confirm the planes meet safety, performance and durability standards.
Boom Supersonic’s Overture supersonic aircraft. (Source: PA) On June 3, United Airlines announced plans to buy 15 Overture supersonic planes from startup Boom Supersonic, a signal that the US airline is working to revive passenger service. use of supersonic aircraft, which has been discontinued since 2003. By agreement, United Airlines will purchase 15 Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft as soon as US officials confirm that these models meet safety, performance and durability standards. The joint announcement of the two companies clearly states the goal of putting supersonic aircraft into service Passenger transport year 2029. In addition to the purchase of 15 aircraft, the agreement between United Airlines and Boom also includes the option to purchase another 35 supersonic aircraft in the future. The financial value of the above contract was not announced by the two parties. Boom Supersonic claims that the plane developed by the company can fly at twice the speed of the fastest aircraft in circulation, estimated to fly from Newark, Northeastern United States to London in just 3.5 hours. This type of aircraft is described as environmentally friendly because it will use renewable fuel. Boom Supersonic was founded in 2014, headquartered in the city of Denver. The company has received $270 million in investment capital and is also participating in a joint project with the US Air Force to develop a military version of Overture. The announcement paved the way to revive the ambition to bring supersonic aircraft into commercial circulation like the Concorde project, which received great support in the early years of the 21st century. However, experts are not optimistic about the chances of realizing this ambition, especially with the fast timeframe as stated in the statements of United Airlines and Boom. Expert Michel Merluzeau, from the consulting firm AIR, thinks this is a good idea but there are many problems to be solved and estimates the development of a supersonic aircraft for commercial use. Meeting regulatory requirements can cost $10-15 billion. This expert also predicts that it will not be until 2035 or 2040 that the commercialization of supersonic aircraft can become a reality. The supersonic aircraft was introduced in the 1970s as part of Concorde’s project but was discontinued in 2003 in part because of the high cost of meeting environmental regulations. In addition, Concorde’s plane was also involved in an Air France crash in 2000 that killed 113 people. At that time, Concorde planes were designed with about 100-144 seats and could fly at twice the speed of sound. This type of plane is operated by two airlines, Air France and British Airways, and only the rich can afford tickets. Hypersonic technology is being interested by US and many foreign companies to develop lighter aircraft, using advanced materials and new engine designs. Experts say that shorter flights will be attractive to business customers who often have to make long-haul flights.
You must log in to post a comment.