Test flights for superfast jets will 'be in the air in just a matter of months': Boom Supersonic CEO
Boom Supersonic, the company building United Airlines' (UAL) faster than the speed of sound jet, promises to start flying passengers in 2029.
"We have already built and rolled out history's first independently developed supersonic jet, the XB-1," Boom CEO Blake Scholl told Yahoo Finance Live.
United announced, last week, it had entered into a $3 billion deal with Boom to purchase 15 of Boom's supersonic airliners, called Overture, at a cost of $200 million each. The jet is designed to carry up to 88 people.
"We are excited to be delivering Overture to passengers in this decade," Scholl said. But the Overture supersonic jet has yet to take off the ground and still only exists on the drawing table.
Boom's prototype experimental aircraft called the XB-1 will start test flights later this year. "That's our prototype for the Overture airliner. It rolled out last fall and it's going to be in the air in just a matter of months," Scholl said. The goal is to roll out the first Overture jet in 2025 and begin test flights in 2026.
'Best for the planet'
The Overture supersonic passenger jet will also be the first commercial aircraft to be carbon neutral, the first day it takes flight. The plane's engines will be powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is derived from cooking oil. The SAF will allow the Overture to hit speeds around mach 1.7, twice as fast as today's passenger jets, without polluting the atmosphere.
"We've already run XB-1's engines on one of the highest blends of alternative fuels ever used," Scholl said, adding that test results for XB-1 engines, powered by sustainable fuel, showed greater performance than current jet fuel blends.
"So that means that the airplane that you most want to be on, from a speed and comfort and convenience perspective, is also the one that's the best for the planet. And that's really, really exciting," Scholl said.
United Airlines expects Overture to connect more than 500 destinations in nearly half the time it currently takes a modern passenger jet. "Newark to London in just three and a half hours, Newark to Frankfurt in four hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours," according to the United press release.
"This is something that appeals to international airlines, you know, and their most valuable passengers." Scholl said.
But Boom said Overture's current range is expected to be 4,888 miles, which falls short of the range needed to fly from San Francisco to Tokyo non-stop. "Today we're talking about Overture one, but there's going to be Overture two, Overture three, they're going to get pressingly faster, more affordable, available to more people in more places," Scholl said.
Japan Airlines has pre-ordered 20 Overture aircrafts and the U.S. Air Force is developing custom Overture configurations for government travel, according to Boom.
"Lots of airlines around the planet are interested in supersonic," Scholl said, and ultimately this is something that every international airline is going to need to remain competitive.
Adam Shapiro is co-anchor of Yahoo Finance Live 3pm to 5pm. Follow him on Twitter @Ajshaps
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