American Airlines is counting on a future in which supersonic jets transport passengers at approximately twice the speed of today’s commercial jetliners on certain routes.
The scale of that wager, however, is unknown since the company refuses to release any information on the financial terms of the arrangement despite stating last week that it has prepaid up to 20 SSTs with the option to purchase up to 20 more.
Boom Supersonics’ capacity to deliver on its claims is dependant on the contract, with experts questioning if supersonic jets would ever make a comeback.
Boom is developing Overture, a jet plane that will be able to carry 65 to 80 passengers at nearly twice the speed of sound.
The plane, however, is still in its early stages of development, and Boom has just recently unveiled an improved version of the plane that it says has passed wind tunnel tests.
According to a press statement, no test flights have been conducted, and the test aircraft is scheduled to take off in 2025.
The front of the plane is reminiscent of the Concorde, a fast and expensive airliner that used to ferry visitors over the Atlantic for up to $10,000 per seat.
American Airlines intends to purchase 20 supersonic planes.
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