Latest news with #supersonic
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
‘Son of Concorde' bosses reveal over 600 routes could see flight times HALVED including 3.5-hour trips from UK to US
Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor Published: Invalid Date, MAKERS of a supersonic plane have revealed there are more than 600 global routes where Concorde-style speedy flights could slash flying times by as much as half. And a 3.5 hour trip between the UK and US is "absolutely" possible, the company told The Sun. 2 2 Boom Technology has been testing its XB-1 test jet which managed to fly faster than the speed of sound in January. One of the hurdles they've overcome from supersonic flying is the sound. The firm's jet, aptly dubbed the "Son of Concorde", has no audible sonic boom. A number of orders from the likes of American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines have already been made for Boom Technology's passenger jet model, Overture. President Trump recently signed an executive order effectively lifting a 52-year ban on civil supersonic flight over land in the US. "While Boom is pleased to see the regulatory pathways to supersonic flight clearing, Boom's business case has never been predicated on regulatory change," a spokesperson for Boom told The Sun. "There are over 600 global routes that are economically viable for supersonic flight—even without going supersonic over land. "Now that rules are being updated to allow boomless supersonic flight over land in the US, additional routes will benefit from speedups. "Boom's supersonic airliner, Overture, will fly transatlantic routes, such as New York to London, at its full cruising speed of Mach 1.7 over water – about twice as fast as today's conventional airliners." "Boomless Cruise enables Overture to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.3 over land without an audible boom - up to 50% faster than subsonic jets - reducing US coast-to-coast flight times by up to 90 minutes. "International routes with overland segments can also benefit from increased speeds." The company also revealed that Overture "remains on target" to get certification from relevant bodies including the FAA by the end of the decade so it can carry passengers. Bosses are aiming to roll out the first Overture in three years, and be flight testing in four. To accomplish that, they expect production of the first aircraft in the "Superfactory" to start next year. WHY DID CONCORDE FAIL? CONCORDE was the supersonic passenger jet considered the ultimate luxury in air travel. Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleet of Concorde planes on April 10, 2003. The plane had its first commercial flight on January 21, 1976, so was retired after 27 years of service and 50,000 flights. Several reasons led to the decision to retire Concorde. Air France and British Airways cited low passenger numbers and high maintenance costs. By the early noughties, the planes were outdated and expensive to run, despite being incredibly advanced when they were first introduced almost three decades previously. The 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001 majorly impacted passenger numbers, as people opted not to fly. Passenger numbers also fell after an Air France Concorde crashed just minutes after taking off from Paris in July 2000. The disaster killed all 109 people on board and four others on the ground. The plane ran over a small piece of metal on the runway, which burst a tyre and caused an engine to ignite. It was also the only aircraft in the British Airways fleet that required a flight engineer. Image credit: Alamy By the end of this year, they expect to produce thrust during fully-operational engine core tests for Overture's bespoke engine, Symphony. "Boom's current order book accounts for the first five years of production at the Overture Superfactory in North Carolina," the spokesperson added. "Airlines have been very receptive to Overture and the competitive advantages of supersonic travel. "In fact, the passenger research we have conducted indicates that 87% of passengers are willing to switch from their preferred airline in order to gain access to supersonic travel." THE RISE OF SUPERSONIC AND HYPERSONIC There are several types of hypersonic and supersonic jets. A breakdown of what's been happening in the industry and what's expected in the coming years. Talon-A Built by Stratolaunch Reported speeds of Mach 5 The first test flight conducted in 2024 X-59 Quesst Built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin Predicted max speeds of Mach 1.4 The first test flight in 2024 - but subject to delays Venus Stargazer M4 Built by Venus Aerospace and Velontra Predicted max speeds of Mach 6 First test flight in 2025 Quarterhorse MKII Built by Hermeus Predicted max speeds of Mach 2.5 First test flight in 2026 Halcyon Built by Hermeus Predicted max speeds of Mach 5 First test flight by 2030 Nanqiang No 1 Built by China's hypersonic plane programme Predicted max speeds of Mach 6 First test flight in 2025 DART Built by Hypersonix Launch Systems Predicted max speeds of Mach 7 First test flight in 2025
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Jet that could fly from London to NYC in 3.5 hours steps closer to reality
Concorde-style flights capable of blasting passengers from London to New York City in 3.5 hours have edged closer to reality after a major ban was lifted. 'Son of Concorde' maker Boom Technology has welcomed President Trump's executive order that effectively lifts the 52-year ban on civil supersonic flight over land in the US. Tight restrictions on supersonic flights have been in place due to the loud sonic boom created by the shock waves from a flying object travelling faster than the speed of sound. 'America once led the world in supersonic aviation, but decades of stifling regulations grounded progress,' the White House said. 'This Order removes regulatory barriers so that US companies can dominate supersonic flight once again.' To hit supersonic speeds, an aeroplane needs to travel at 768 miles (1235km/h) per hour. But Boom Technology has been working on a jet that has no audible sonic boom. The firm managed to make its XB-1 test jet fly faster than the speed of sound for the first time in January this year. Writing on X, the company welcomed the latest move, saying: 'Thank you, President Trump, for unlocking the future of faster and quieter travel.' 'This presidential action comes after a bipartisan group of key Congressional leaders introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act on May 14, 2025. 'The legislation calls on the FAA to revise the regulation prohibiting supersonic flight over land.' After finishing tests with XB-1 in January, Boom is now focused on building a plane suitable for passengers called Overture. Some 130 aircraft pre-orders have already been made by the likes of American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. The executive order does come with a set of rules that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been directed to impose. An interim 'noise-based certification standard' must be established that considers 'community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility'. Trump was presented with a miniature model of Overture earlier this year from Boom Technology's CEO. He suggested that Boom should manufacture Air Force One - the President's personal plane - and made a dig at China President Xi Jinping. 'Air Fore Once should be supersonic. Xi [President of China] can keep his 747-8,' he wrote.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
‘Son of Concorde' jet that could fly from London to NYC in 3.5 hours steps closer to reality as major ban is lifted
CONCORDE-STYLE flights capable of blasting passengers from London to New York City in 3.5 hours have edged closer to reality after a major ban was lifted. "Son of Concorde" maker Boom Technology has welcomed President Trump 's executive order that effectively lifts the 52-year ban on civil supersonic flight over land in the US. 4 4 4 Tight restrictions on supersonic flights have been in place due to the loud sonic boom created by the shock waves from a flying object travelling faster than the speed of sound. "America once led the world in supersonic aviation, but decades of stifling regulations grounded progress," the White House said. "This Order removes regulatory barriers so that U.S. companies can dominate supersonic flight once again." To hit supersonic speeds, an airplane needs to travel at 768 miles per hour. But Boom Technology has been working on a jet that has no audible sonic boom. The firm managed to make its XB-1 test jet fly faster than the speed of sound for the first time in January this year. Writing on X, the company welcomed the latest move, saying: "Thank you, President Trump, for unlocking the future of faster and quieter travel. "This presidential action comes after a bipartisan group of key Congressional leaders introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act on May 14, 2025. "The legislation calls on the FAA to revise the regulation prohibiting supersonic flight over land." After finishing tests with XB-1 in January, Boom is now focused on building a plane suitable for passengers called Overture. Boom 'son of Concorde' flies supersonic for first time Some 130 aircraft pre-orders have already been made by the likes of American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. The executive order does come with a set of rules that the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been directed to impose. An interim "noise-based certification standard" must be established that considers "community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility". Why did the Concorde fail? CONCORDE was the supersonic passenger jet considered the ultimate luxury in air travel. Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleet of Concorde planes on April 10, 2003. The plane had its first commercial flight on January 21, 1976, so was retired after 27 years of service and 50,000 flights. Several reasons led to the decision to retire Concorde. Air France and British Airways cited low passenger numbers and high maintenance costs. By the early noughties, the planes were outdated and expensive to run, despite being incredibly advanced when they were first introduced almost three decades previously. The 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001 majorly impacted passenger numbers, as people opted not to fly. Passenger numbers also fell after an Air France Concorde crashed just minutes after taking off from Paris in July 2000. The disaster killed all 109 people on board and four others on the ground. The plane ran over a small piece of metal on the runway, which burst a tyre and caused an engine to ignite. It was also the only aircraft in the British Airways fleet that required a flight engineer. Image credit: Alamy Trump was presented with a miniature model of Overture earlier this year from Boom Technology's CEO. He suggested that Boom should manufacture Air Force One - the President's personal plane - and made a dig at China President Xi Jinping. "Air Fore Once should be supersonic. Xi [President of China] can keep his 747-8," he wrote. 4 Supersonic and Hypersonic Jets There are several types of hypersonic and supersonic jets. A breakdown of what's been happening in the industry and what's expected in the coming years. Talon-A Built by Stratolaunch Reported speeds of Mach 5 The first test flight conducted in 2024 X-59 Quesst Built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin Predicted max speeds of Mach 1.4 The first test flight in 2024 - but subject to delays Venus Stargazer M4 Built by Venus Aerospace and Velontra Predicted max speeds of Mach 6 First test flight in 2025 Quarterhorse MKII Built by Hermeus Predicted max speeds of Mach 2.5 First test flight in 2026 Halcyon Built by Hermeus Predicted max speeds of Mach 5 First test flight by 2030 Nanqiang No 1 Built by China's hypersonic plane programme Predicted max speeds of Mach 6 First test flight in 2025 DART Built by Hypersonix Launch Systems Predicted max speeds of Mach 7 First test flight in 2025
Gizmodo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
What Ending the U.S. Ban on Supersonic Flight Means for the Future of Travel
Passenger aircraft could fly from New York to Los Angeles in around two hours, but there are still challenges that stand in the way. It's been 22 years since the last flight of the Concorde, a now-retired supersonic airliner that flew at a maximum speed of 1,345 miles per hour (2,179 kilometers per hour). At those speeds, you could fly from London to New York City in around three hours. A long-held U.S. ban on supersonic flight over land limited Concorde's routes and continues to restrict commercial aircraft from flying faster than sound over land. Today, those super speedy—and super loud—flights could be making a comeback. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to reverse the 1973 ban on civilian supersonic flights, instructing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a standard for supersonic aircraft noise certification. The decision would make way for faster routes, if companies can figure out ways to make their aircraft quieter and more affordable. When planes fly faster than the speed of sound, Mach 1, or about 767 miles per hour (1,234 kilometers per hour), they create a loud, explosive noise due to the shock waves created by the extreme speeds. It sounds like loud thunder and it would startle people living in cities where supersonic jets fly overhead. As a result, the FAA prohibited supersonic flights of non-military aircraft over land, enacting the measure on April 27, 1973. At the time, aerospace technology wasn't advanced enough to resolve the noise issue; since then, however, research has shown ways to soften the sounds of supersonic flights. Boom, a Colorado-based company, is working on a supersonic airliner, named Boom Overture. Its current prototype, XB-1, is designed to fly at Mach 1.7 while carrying 64 to 80 passengers on board. As the leading U.S. company in the market today, Boom naturally welcomed the decision. In late January, Boom Supersonic flew its experimental aircraft faster than sound for the first time. Boom has seen interest from carriers like American Airlines and United Airlines. Before we get ahead of ourselves, the administration's reversal of the ban came with a set of rules. Trump's executive order directed the FAA to revoke the supersonic speed limit as long as aircraft do not produce an audible sonic boom on the ground. 'The Order instructs the FAA Administrator to establish a standard for supersonic aircraft noise certification that considers community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility,' according to The White House. It also claims that recent developments in aerospace engineering 'make supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.' NASA is working on its own solution to soften the impact of sonic booms. Earlier this year, the agency fired up the engine of its X-59 research aircraft, which is designed to fly faster than sound but with drastically reduced noise. 'People below would hear sonic 'thumps' rather than booms, if they hear anything at all,' NASA wrote in a statement. The plane is designed to reduce the pressure change that flows over the ground, thereby reducing the sound. The X-59's engine is mounted on top of the aircraft, which reduces the amount of noise from the plane that reaches the ground. Aside from the noise, commercial supersonic flight has also been criticized for its negative impact on the environment. Supersonic aircraft consume more fuel. Concorde burned through 22 tons of fuel per hour—twice as much as a Boeing 747, which can carry four times as many passengers, according to Transport & Environment. To help address the negative environmental impact, Boom says its planes will operate on sustainable alternative fuels. That may not fully resolve the issue, as faster planes need to fly at higher altitudes, where the air is thinner and there's less drag and heat generation. At those higher altitudes in Earth's stratosphere, the emissions from the plane would linger up to 20 times longer, according to Aerospace America. NASA says it's working to find solutions for those challenges as well. Supersonic flights are also expensive, with pricey operation costs and premium services at extremely high fares. Concorde, for example, was not considered profitable as the cost of fuel far exceeded the profit made per flight. Airlines hoping to get in on the supersonic action need to figure out a sustainable model to offer customers for a quicker flight. Lifting the ban may have been the first step, but there's still a long way to go before faster routes take off in the skies.
Travel Weekly
09-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Trump executive order clears path for overland supersonic flight
President Trump has issued an executive order that would allow for commercial supersonic flights over land. The June 6 order directs the FAA to begin the process of repealing the existing overland ban, which was put in place in 1973 due to the loud noise emitted by sonic booms, within 18 months. In its place, the order calls for the FAA to set a standard for supersonic aircraft noise that considers community acceptability, economic reasonableness and technological feasibility. Commercial supersonic flights have not been available since the Concorde last flew in 2003. But technological advancements have since made supersonic flight much quieter. In January, the startup Boom Supersonic completed supersonic tests of a prototype plane, called XB-1, which it says were not audible on the ground. Boom hopes to build a new generation passenger supersonic aircraft, to be called Overture, with first production at its Greensboro, N.C., factory next year, though doing so will be a tall task. Among a number of challenges, the company's largest obstacle might be that it must also build its own engine, having failed to secure the assistance of major engine makers, including GE, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney. In a press release, Boom praised Trump's executive order: "Once the ban is lifted, Overture's Boomless Cruise mode will allow speeds up to Mach 1.3 [997 mph] over land. This is up to 50% faster than today's jets, with no audible boom for communities below. Travelers could save up to 90 minutes on U.S. coast-to-coast routes, and global routes with overland segments would see even more significant benefits."
