American Airlines “Orders” Boom Supersonic Overture Jet

Up to 60 supersonic jets have been ordered by American Airlines. It's not clear whether or not this will ever become a reality.

American orders up to 60 Boom Overture planes

An agreement for the purchase of 20 Overture aircraft has been announced by American Airlines and Boom Supersonic. The deposit has been put down by American Airlines.

Colorado-based Boom Technology is trying to bring supersonic passenger air travel back to the market. The new Concorde is supposed to cut travel time in some markets by half. Some of the basic specifications are listed here.

• The Overture would fly at Mach 1.7
• The Overture would have a range of 4,250 nautical miles
• The Overture would feature four engines
• The Overture would carry 65-80 passengers in an all-business class configuration
• The final production design of the jet could roll out in 2025, and the plane could enter passenger service in 2029

This is what the Chief Financial Officer of American had to say.

“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers. We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”

My take on American’s supersonic jet order

American is the second major US airline to place an order for this jet, as United Airlines did the same in mid- 2021, for example. I keep putting "order" in quotes because this jet is far from becoming a reality, so for the time being I think this is a good PR move.

• Boom Technology gets the support of the world’s biggest airline, which adds credibility to what the company is working on
• American Airlines looks like a cutting edge company that’s investing in the future of air travel, as it sounds spiffy to have supersonic jets on order

My guess is that the airline could easily back out of this order since this is dependent on certain performance specifications that are not certain at this point.

A lot of people have faith in the concept of boom because it has raised a lot of money. I don't want to be a wet blanket because it's easy to be skeptical of technology.

I can't see this becoming a reality. It seems like there are a lot of hurdles to overcome, and I don't think this shows the direction the industry is going. Plans for engines that would be able to power this plane have yet to be announced. I would love to see the Boom Overture fly someday.

Bottom line

The airline placed an order for up to 60 jets. The Boom Overture is expected to enter service in 2029 if it ever becomes a reality. As cool as this concept is, and as much as I want it to happen, I think the odds are against it. I don't think we will ever see the new Concorde flying.

What do you think about American Airlines ordering jets?