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Economy
United Airlines unveils plan to revive supersonic jet travel
2021-06-04
[DAILYTIMES.PK] United Airlines announced plans Thursday to buy 15 planes from airline startup Boom Supersonic in a move that could revive the high-speed form of air travel.

Under the commercial agreement, United would purchase Boom’s "Overture" aircraft once the planes meet "United’s demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements" with an aim to start passenger travel in 2029, the companies said in a joint blurb.

The agreement covers 15 planes and includes an option for United to obtain another 35 aircraft. The companies did not disclose financial terms. Boom’s plane is capable of flying at twice the speed of leading aircraft now on the market, with the potential to fly from Newark to London in three and a half hours and the Socialist paradise of San Francisco
...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964...
to Tokyo in six hours, the companies said. The jets will also be "net-zero" in carbon use because they will employ renewable fuel. Commercial supersonic jet travel was introduced in the 1970s with the Concorde, but the jets were retired in 2003 due in part to the high cost of meeting environmental restrictions on sonic booms.

The Concorde’s demise also followed a 2000 Air La Belle France accident that killed 113 people. However,
denial ain't just a river in Egypt...
the technology is getting another look today as companies in the United States and abroad develop planes with lighter and more efficient composite materials and new engine designs, according to a fact sheet from the Federal Aviation Administration. "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," said United Chief Executive Scott Kirby. Founded in 2014, Denver-based Boom Supersonic said it is also working with the United States Air Force on a military version of the Overture. Jon Ostrower, editor of the aviation publication the Air Current, said on Twitter that United’s order marked a shift in a long-term industry trend. "The last time United ordered supersonic aircraft, humans had yet to walk on the Moon," Ostrower said. "More than a half century later, United is again focusing on speed, bucking the most consistent airline trend over the past 50 years: a desire to fly cheaper, not faster."
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Posted by:Fred

#11  but, but Link Light Rail
Posted by: 746   2021-06-04 14:12  

#10  If it's a domestic flight I'd rather take a Southwest 737. Actually, I'd rather drive. If I'm going overseas I'd take an Airbus or 787 on just about any airline except UA or AA.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2021-06-04 13:33  

#9  I suspect more oriented to trans-Pacific than trans-Atlantic.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2021-06-04 11:36  

#8  Retrieve your baggage then get stuck in bumper-to-bumper I-90 annual road repair.
Posted by: Besoeker   2021-06-04 11:18  

#7  Fly supersonic into O'Hare and still wait hours for your (broken) luggage.
Posted by: Glenmore   2021-06-04 11:15  

#6  UA can't even serve a decent meal with plastic ware on their flights and they want to get into supersonic jet travel? But, shit, why not? If they get into financial trouble (again), they'll just have the taxpayers bail them out (again).
Posted by: Clem   2021-06-04 08:54  

#5  Deliver anywhere in the world in ONE HOUR. USAF and Elon Musk's plans to transport cargo by rocket revealed in air force budget
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2021-06-04 08:20  

#4  I agree, Mike. If they succeed in what they (Boom) are doing, then it's a true show of American ingenuity.

Of course the Feds (in their current iteration) will put them through the wringer if that happens. No success allowed unless it's by the government.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2021-06-04 08:14  

#3  "More than a half century later, United is again focusing on speed, bucking the most consistent airline trend over the past 50 years: a desire to fly cheaper, not faster."

...Which should tell you something about United's future planning.

The Overture is - or rather, will be - pretty impressive IF they're built. It's going to require engines and fuels that for all intents and purposes don't exist yet. The silent part is pretty impressive; Concorde clocked in at about 115db, Overture should be about 75, (about the same as normal conversation) but there's no promise yet that the effects will scale up from the experimental plane they're testing right now.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2021-06-04 06:59  

#2  Don’t like an aircraft company named “Boom”
Posted by: Thunter Fleating7247   2021-06-04 04:53  

#1  Nice! Some good news, finally
Posted by: Elminesing Forkbeard6963   2021-06-04 00:27  

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