United Airlines bought 15 supersonic aircraft: they can fly from New York to London in 3,5 hours

United Airlines plans to operate ultra-fast passenger services and has already acquired supersonic aircraft. The details of the deal and the expected routes of flights were described by the publication CNBC.

On June 3, the airline announced that it is purchasing 15 supersonic aircraft from Boom Supersonic, with the option of acquiring 35 more in the future.

Boom's first commercial supersonic aircraft, the Overture, has yet to be built or certified. The company expects this aircraft to begin passenger traffic in 2029. It is predicted to be able to fly at Mach 1,7 and cut the time of any flight in half. That is, a flight from New York to London, which usually takes about seven hours, will only take 3,5 hours.

Although the terms of the sale were not disclosed, both companies believe the deal will bring them quick benefits.

Since its founding in 2014, Denver-based Boom Supersonic has raised $ 270 million in capital and grown to 150 employees. According to founder and CEO Blake Scholl, receiving an order for aircraft from a major airline confirms his vision of supersonic flight as the future, even though it has been abandoned in the past. The supersonic Concorde flew commercial flights from 1976 to October 2003. But then these planes were abandoned after a major accident.

On the subject: Just 20 minutes on the way: air taxi to be launched between New York airports

“The world's first zero-carbon supersonic aircraft purchase agreement marks a significant step towards our mission of making a world more accessible to travel,” Scholl said in a statement.

For United, ordering Boom supersonic jets is in line with the strategy that chief executive Scott Kirby outlined when he took over as CEO a year ago.

Kirby is trying to empower the airline. Earlier this year, United acquired a stake in start-up Archer Aviation and partnered with Mesa Airlines to order 200 short-haul electric aircraft.

However, it is not yet known whether Boom's plan to return supersonic commercial aircraft will come to fruition.

The company plans to organize its first test flight later this year. It will be carried out on a demonstration jet called the XB-1. If all goes according to plan, Boom will begin production of Overture in 2023 and it will make its maiden flight in 2026. The ultimate hurdle will be getting certified by regulatory agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

When that happens, United plans to use these planes for long-haul international flights between major cities around the world, such as San Francisco and Tokyo or New York and Paris.