Airlines, such as United, Virgin and American Airlines, have placed orders for supersonic aircraft after Boom Supersonic recently revealed its nett-zero-carbon, supersonic aircraft, the Overture. 

The expected date for the first flight is 2026 and production is set to begin in 2024.

The Overture will be the first supersonic commercial aircraft to take flight since the Concorde was retired in 2003 due to rising operating costs and reduced ticket sales. The Concorde made its last flight on October 24 from New York to London, according to History. It was developed jointly by the UK and French governments and began flying in 1976. 

The maximum cruising speed of the Concorde was Mach 2.04, according to Britannica. The cruising speed of the Overture will be Mach 1.7, and it will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel, according to a statement by Boom Supersonic. There are over 600 profitable routes planned for the aircraft, and it will have a capacity of 65 to 80 passengers.

The Overture will travel two times faster over water and 20% faster over land than current aircraft. The supersonic aircraft is set to nearly halve travel times, with flight times from New York to London being reduced from six and a half hours currently to three and a half hours. Flights from Tokyo to Seattle will only take four and a half hours with the Overture instead of eight and a half hours.

Flights from Los Angeles to Sydney will take just eight hours, instead of the usual fourteen and a half hours, and those between Singapore and Dubai will be reduced to four hours from seven hours.

Boom Supersonic has partnered with several world-class companies, and its airline partners include United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Japan Airlines. The commercial order book for Overture stands at over 70 aircraft presently.

United is set to purchase 15 Overture airliners, once the aircraft meets safety, operating, and sustainability requirements, with an option for 35 more. The aircraft is anticipated to carry United Airlines’ passengers in 2029. Japan Airlines has pre-ordered 20 of the aircraft.

According to The Guardian, Virgin Atlantic joined the journey towards supersonic travel when Sir Richard Branson announced in 2016 that the company would help build the new generation of supersonic aircraft. The airline has also already signed an option to buy 10 of the aircraft.

This week, American Airlines joined other commercial airline partners when it announced an agreement to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for 40 more. The airline has already paid a non-refundable deposit to Boom Supersonic for the 20 aircraft.