United Plans Supersonic Passenger Flights by 2029

United plans supersonic passenger flights by 2029. American airline United has announced plans to purchase 15 new supersonic aircraft in 2029 and "return supersonic speed to aviation." The supersonic airliner ended in 2003 when Air France and British Airways retired Concorde. The new Overture aircraft will be produced by a Denver-based company called Boom, which has not yet flight-tested a supersonic jet.

United's deal is conditional on new aircraft that meet safety standards

What is the supersonic flight? Supersonic flight refers to an aircraft moving faster than the speed of sound. At an altitude of 60,000 ft (18,300 m), it flies faster than 660 mph (1,060 km/h). A typical airliner can cruise at around 560 mph (900 km/h), but the Overture is expected to reach a speed of 1,122 mph (1805 km/h), also known as the Mach 1.7. At this speed, the travel time of the transatlantic route from London to New York could be cut in half.

Boom said the Overture will be able to travel in 3.5 hours and cut flight times by 3 hours. The Concorde, which entered passenger service in 1976, was much faster, with a maximum speed of Mach 2.04 - about 1,350 mph (2180 km/h). What difficulties do you have? There are two main concerns with supersonic passenger travel: noise and pollution. Moving faster than the speed of sound creates an acoustic boom that can be heard as a loud thunder or explosion on the ground. The name of the company Boom is here.

Boom limits where an airplane can fly. Generally, they must slow down until they are out over the sea, away from citizens who may be disturbed by loud noises. The Boom is confident it won't make any louder noises than other modern airliners on takeoff, landing, and landing. We also expect improvements in aircraft design as the Concorde will help reduce and mitigate acoustic booms. Another big problem is fuel consumption.

Boom's chief commercial officer, Kathy Savitt, told the BBC, "It takes more power and more fuel to fly at supersonic speeds." But she expects Overture to operate as a "net-zero carbon aircraft." Can supersonic travel really be 'sustainable'? At the heart of Boom's plan is for Overture to operate entirely on sustainable aviation fuel (Saf). It could take the form of "posh biodiesel" made from everything from waste animal fat from the agricultural industry to specially grown high-energy crops, explains Dr. Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and environment at Cranfield University.

One big problem, however, is that the world is far from having something like the production capacity needed to produce enough biofuel to power the entire aviation industry. Boom predicts that a “power-to-liquid” process, where renewable energy such as wind power is used to produce liquid fuel, will fill the gap. "We expect it to be commercially available long before it is needed for our purposes," explains Boom's Raymond Russell.

“There are billions of dollars in airline commitments and investments across this sector.” But it is an industry that needs expansion. “Can you suddenly find a huge additional supply of sustainable power at an affordable price?” Ask Dr. Gratton. "I'm not saying I can't. I can do it well, but it's not over yet." Is there a demand for supersonic travel? Concorde's development costs over 50 years, but British Airways is estimated to have been profitable in its last year of operation.

Concord was seen as a luxurious way to travel by tickets that cost more than first class on a regular jet. Today's wealthiest travelers will prefer private business jets, says Dr. Gratton. The wealthy can charter a small private plane to and from the airport of their choice, instead of traveling first class on a commercial jet with the average person. Avoiding check-in desks and baggage carousels can also shorten travel times.

Ms. Savitt suggests that Boom's research shows that passengers want speed and that faster planes "can deepen human connections and create better business relationships." Unlike Concorde, the company expects Overture to be profitable for airlines, even if tickets sell for the same price as "regular business class fares." Ultimately, it's up to United to set the price but expect a return on their $200 million (£140 million) investment per plane.