Are Commercial Supersonic Jets Making a Comeback?

In January of 1976, two supersonic passenger planes traveled to Europe at 1,350 miles per hour — twice the speed of sound. The Concordes were the first of their kind, and after they were grounded permanently in 2003 namely for economic purposes, they were the last too.

But according to a new report from CNN, the many shortcomings of the aviation industry have given rise to “a bunch” of startups working on supersonic alternatives. One such company — Boom Supersonic — has gone so far as to developed a demonstrator aircraft. In a recent interview with CNN Travel, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl described his vision, which would have huge implications for the industry if it were to come to fruition.

The Overture, described on the company’s website as the “first airliner in a new era of enduring supersonic flight” and inspired by the Concorde’s technology, will sit between 65-88 passengers and is reportedly 100% carbon neutral. Additionally, there are already more than 500+ transoceanic routes planned for the Overture, the travel time of which would effectively be reduced by half of that of subsonic commercial planes — the most compelling component, according to Scholl.

While critics might say we’re still a ways away from commoditized supersonic jet travel, Scholl’s timeline — to fly the prototype aircraft by the end of 2021, build the first Overture plane in 2023 and be operating commercially by 2026 — suggests otherwise. The end goal? Scholl wants to make it accessible, unlike its predecessors, to everyone.

“That’s not travel, that’s like a thing you might hope to do once in a lifetime,” Scholl said of the Concorde fleet. “Versus where we want to get, which is anywhere in the world in four hours for 100 bucks.”

It’s a tall order to be sure, but being that you can’t fly anywhere within a 45-minute radius for $100 at present, it certainly feels like a ripe opportunity. As they say, great moments are born from great opportunity. And that’s exactly what you have here.