America’s largest airline, American Airlinesannounced this Tuesday an agreement to buy 20 supersonic aircraft Boom Supersonic Overture, which are being designed to fly at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial jets.
According to a company statement, which does not detail the amount, American Airlines paid a non-refundable deposit for the initial 20 planes for Boom, which is still years away from building its first commercial aircraft, with an option to purchase an additional 40 in the future.
The terms of the agreement state that Boom must meet industry standard safety, performance and operational requirements, as well as other customary American conditions prior to delivery of any Overture.
In July, Boom revealed the final production design for the Overture, which is scheduled to launch in 2025 and carry its first passengers in 2029.
The Overture is being designed to carry 65 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 over water, which is “twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft, with a range of 4,250 nautical miles,” says the note.
For example, one of these planes might fly from Miami to London in just under five hours and from Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours.
In addition, this aircraft is designed to “run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.”
“Going forward, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver on our promises to our customers,” said Derek Kerr, American Airline’s chief financial officer.
For his part, the founder and CEO of Boom, Blake Scholl, said he was “proud” to share the company’s vision “of a more connected and sustainable world.”
Last year, United Airlines already committed to buying 15 Overture planes.
