American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it has placed an order for 20 Overture supersonic aircraft, manufactured by the aeronautical manufacturer Boom, which plans to put them into service in 2029, a quarter of a century following the withdrawal of the legendary Concorde.
American Airlines (AA) said in a statement that it had paid a deposit and had an option for 40 additional aircraft.
Asked by AFP, neither AA nor Boom provided information on the amount of this order, which comes just over a year following United Airlines committed to 15 Overture aircraft in June 2021. with an option for 35 additional gear.
A spokeswoman for the American manufacturer Boom nevertheless confirmed that the company was aiming for a price of 200 million dollars for the Overture, as previously announced by other media.
According to Boom, the Overture, with a capacity of 65 to 80 passengers, will be able to reach Mach 1.7, or around 2,100 km/h, twice the speed of the fastest airliners currently in service.
On some routes, Boom expects travel time to be cut in half compared to current flight times. The statement mentions a flight from Miami to London in less than 5 hours, compared to just under 9 hours today.
The line of the Overture, whose autonomy reaches 7800 km, resembles that of the Concorde, created by the French Sud Aviation (now Aérospatiale, today integrated into the Airbus group) and the British British Aircraft Corporation (today BAE Systems).
In service from 1976 to 2003 with Air France and British Airways, the Concorde was never profitable and the abandonment of its operation was precipitated by the accident of an aircraft during take-off from Roissy-Charles airport. -de-Gaulle, which killed 113 people in July 2000.
The Overture should be powered 100% by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from biomass, waste oils and even, in the future, captured CO2 and green hydrogen.
SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 80% compared to kerosene.
Before being able to transport passengers, the Overture will have to obtain the green light from the regulatory authorities, in particular the authorization to fly at an altitude of around 18 kilometers, whereas the limit is currently set at just under 13 km for a jet airliner.
“In the years to come, supersonic travel will be an important component of our ability to serve our customers,” American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr said in the statement.