Announcement by American Airlines on tuesday that it had reached an agreement with startup Boom Technology to purchase up to 20 supersonic aircraft.
The largest airline in the world, American, has the option to purchase an additional 40 supersonic aircraft under the terms of the agreement.
None of the aircraft for the Overture have yet been constructed; it is currently in the design stage. It can travel across water at a speed of Mach 1.7, or 1,304 mph, with 65 to 80 passengers on board. When compared to the fastest typical commercial aircraft, that speed is nearly twice as fast.
The plane could complete the voyage from Miami to London in less than five hours and have a range of 4,250 nautical miles. The flight time in a subsonic aircraft is about nine hours. Additionally, it aims to use only sustainably sourced aviation fuel and be a net-zero carbon aircraft.
“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said in a statement.
“We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”
