‘A future where everyone can sustainably fly supersonic’: Japan Airlines could be among first to operate ‘son of Concorde’ airliner commercially

Nearly two decades after the last flight of a plane that caught the world’s imagination with its elegance and speed, a jet that may lay claim to being the “son of Concorde” is taking shape in a state-of-the-art development facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the United States. Known as Overture, this jet is the brainchild of Denver, Colorado-based Boom Supersonic and may soon be capable of carrying 80 passengers at speeds of up to Mach 1.7 (or about 2,100km/h), at an altitude of 60,000 feet, or 18.3km. In Asia, the first of this new generation of aircraft heralding a return to supersonic flight is likely to be sporting the livery of Japan Airlines. An official for Japan’s flag carrier confirms that JAL invested US$10 million in Boom in 2017 and the two companies have been working together on the design of the aircraft and to “define the passenger experience for supersonic travel”. JAL has a pre-order agreement in place to purchase 20 of the aircraft. Another of the earliest batches off the production line is expected to be delivered to American Airlines. The largest airline in the world has put down a deposit on 20 jets, with the option to buy an additional 40. None of the companies involved in the project has revealed how many dollars – or yen – they expect to pay for each Overture airliner. The first of this new generation of supersonic planes could fly commercially for the first time as early as 2029.<br/>