United Airlines on Thursday announced it has signed an aircraft purchase agreement with Boom Supersonic for 15 ‘Overture’ supersonic jets. The ‘zero-carbon aircrafts’ which are to to fly on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel will travel faster than the speed of sound, reducing the travel time between destinations to almost half.
We’re the first U.S. airline to sign an agreement for @boomaero‘s ‘Overture’ airliners which are expected to be net-zero carbon and connect 500+ cities in nearly half the time. Taking off in 2029: https://t.co/aTeMBwXa10 #BoomSupersonic pic.twitter.com/GOeag9c1HF
— United Airlines (@united) June 3, 2021
As per The Verge report, if Boom’s Overture jets pass inspection, the first flight is scheduled for 2026 and is expected to carry passengers by 2029. Also, United has the option to buy at least 35 more planes from the startup.
Introducing the United supersonic fleet.@United will purchase up to 50 Overture airliners and fly the fleet on 100% sustainable aviation fuels. https://t.co/zVG2aMCVKx #BoomSupersonic pic.twitter.com/kg9eoFT2Ww
— Boom Supersonic (@boomaero) June 3, 2021
As per plans, Overture will have a seating capacity of 65-88 passengers; a cruising altitude of 60,000 feet; and a top speed of 1.7 match with a range of 4,250 nautical miles (about 7,871 km).
With these technical specifications, the supersonic jets will reduce New York-London travel time from 6.5 hours at present to 3.5 hours; New York-Frankfurt to 4 hours from current 7 and San Francisco-Tokyo to six hours from over 10 at present.
United and Boom plan to make these flights environmentally friendly, promising that these flights will be “net-zero carbon from day one,” and rely completely on sustainable aviation fuel, which is repurposed from waste or organic sources.
The Times of India quoted United CEO Scott Kirby as saying, “United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today’s advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes. Boom’s vision for the future of commercial aviation, combined with the industry’s most robust route network in the world, will give business and leisure travelers access to a stellar flight experience. Our mission has always been about connecting people and now working with Boom, we’ll be able to do that on an even greater scale.”
Boom Supersonic founder-CEO Blake Scholl was quoted as saying, “The world’s first order of net-zero carbon supersonic aircraft marks a significant step toward our mission to create a more accessible world. At speeds twice as fast, United passengers will experience all the advantages of life lived in person, from deeper, more productive business relationships to longer, more relaxing vacations to far-off destinations.”
Overture would be the first such commercial supersonic flight since the Concorde jet, which flew between 1969 and 2003 after which it was retired.
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