American Airlines has agreed to purchase 20 Book Supersonic Overture passenger jets. The jets can transport passengers at "twice the speeds of conventional passenger aircraft," as per Space.com.
According to TechCrunch, the four-engine jets of Boom Supersonic has the speeds of up to Mach 1.7 over water or twice the speed of present's day fastest commercial aircraft.
In simple calculation, the jet can fly from Miami to London in just under five hours, a lot shorter than the standard nine hours.
Deal Between American Airlines and Boom Supersonic is Sealed
American Airlines, which is considered as the world's largest airline, already made a nonrefundable deposit on the 20 Overture aircraft from Boom Supersonic. The amount is undisclosed as of writing.
Boom Supersonic said that the Overture jets are projected to have a range of over 4,890 miles (7,870 kilometers).
In just 3 hours and 45 minutes, the aircraft could carry between 65 and 80 passengers from Paris to Montreal.
The terms agreed between American Airlines and Boom Supersonic specified that before any aircraft was delivered, the Boom Supersonic must provide evidences that the Overture meets all industry-mandated safety, operation and performance standards.
With this, American Airlines has the option to purchase an additional of 40 airplanes in the future.
As per Space.com, the Boom Supersonic Overture passenger jet is found to have a tapered fuselage, which "features a larger diameter at its front than at its rear."
According to Book Supersonic, the design of the aircraft helps minimize the drag experienced by the jet, at the same time it also optimizes fuel efficiency.
The jet has four engines mounted under the wings. This will give the Overture a maximum speeds of over Mach 1.7 when flying over water. Over land, the maximum speed is slightly under Mach 1.
Read Also: NASA Update: Space Agency Trying to Revive Supersonic Commercial Flights?
Boom Supersonic is Expected to Carry Passengers in 2029
United Airlines also purchase some 15 Boom jets about a year ago. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic partnered with Boom to build and test planes in 2016. The airlines ventured in the partnership to try to make the expensive flights more affordable.
Following the American Airlines deal, Boom Supersonic has an order of 130 planes to fill, including 40 more of the jets option of the airlines.
The Boom's Overture jets are expected to begin arriving at Boom's Greensboro, North Carolina, production line in 2025. It will be followed by the test flights in 2026. It is expected that Boom will carry their first passengers in 2029.
While Boom's jets are incredibly fast, it is not as as fast as the legendary Concorde's that can fly at a speed of Mach 2.04.
The Concorde had its first supersonic flight in 1976 from New York City to London in three hours. It was operating until 2003. Concorde made its last commercial flight in the said year because of a number of issues with the jets.
According to TechCrunch, the rate of Boom's Overture over land is about 20% faster than subsonic flights. However, it will fly faster over 600 transoceanic routes to which it is best suited.
Related Article: Boom Supersonic Reveals New Design for Overture, an Airliner That Can Fly From New York to London in 3.5 Hours
