New Concorde nears first flight after round of deals

Boom Supersonic plans to launch Concorde-style aircraft by 2027. Credit: AP/Boom Supersonic

The plan for the first supersonic aircraft The passenger aircraft has taken a significant step forward since Concorde after the company behind the effort signed key agreements to design and manufacture the aircraft.

Boom Supersonic, which aims to launch Concorde-style aircraft by 2027, said Italian aerospace giant Leonardo will make part of the fuselage of its new aircraft.

Spain's Aernnova will design the wings, while its compatriot Aciturri agreed to work on the tail, Boom announced at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.

Boom founder Blake Scholl, who founded Boom in 2014, is hoping to get his supersonic aircraft. aircraft certified for commercial use by 2029.

The company already has 130 orders and commitments for its aircraft, including deals with United, American Airlines and Japan Airlines.

He laid the groundwork for a plant in Greensboro, North Carolina, which will produce 33 aircraft per year. A second production line for doubling power is in the works.

The Boom Overture aircraft will carry between 65 and 80 passengers at Mach 1.7, or about 1,300 miles per hour, at an altitude of 60,000 feet.

The last voyage of the Concorde took place in 2003. The Anglo-French project was put on hold after a plane crash at Charles de Gaulle Airport in July 2000 that killed 113 people.

The last flight of the Concorde took place in 2003 after a fatal crash at Charles de Gaulle Airport. the ticket cost $20,000 in today's money, I didn't have the money for a unique experience in life.

“The Concorde going supersonic was really special. You go through Mach One and there will be champagne, caviar and a screen telling you that you are going supersonic.

“The first few Overture flights will also be special. But as I look further, my biggest concern is when supersonic flight becomes the norm.”

Boom hopes to cut travel time between London and New York from six and a half hours to three and a half hours. an hour and a half.

The flight between London and Miami will also be reduced from nine and a half hours to less than five.

The aircraft will use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is considered by the industry as the main hope for the decarburization of long-range aviation. The fuel can be made from biowaste, as opposed to the fossil fuels that modern aircraft rely on.

However, very little SAF is produced today and there is intense competition for it, and automakers also plan to use this to keep internal combustion engines on the road after the petrol and diesel ban.

To be as low-carbon as possible, SAF must also be made from green hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources and then combined with carbon dioxide obtained from the air to produce synthetic hydrocarbons.

CEO Blake Scholl says he's excited about the prospect of supersonic flight becoming the norm. Photo: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg

It's very expensive compared to refining oil and using SAF, so it puts financial pressure on companies like Boom, who require much more fuel per mile than subsonic aircraft.

Mr. Scholl insisted that costs would come down as SAF production increased. to meet demand.

He said: “The current shortage of SAF will not last long. Over time, as supply increases to catch up with demand, prices will fall. This is happening in all markets.”

Boom announced a deal to buy 10 million gallons of SAF per year in partnership with Air Company and Dimensional Energy, which use renewable energy and CO2 to produce fuel.

Comfortable business class beds and the ability to work more comfortably on the plane thanks to in-flight Wi-Fi have undermined the value of Concorde's revival in the eyes of some aviation watchers.

Mr Scholl, however, is unfazed, insisting that time spent on earth is more valuable to his clients.

He said: “Our ultimate goal is to create a future where more people travel more frequently, allowing us to enjoy the benefits of a more interconnected world without having to worry about the environmental impact of our travels.”