2003 what the last year passengers boarded a supersonic airliner that traveled at break-neck speeds of Mach 2. But in less than a decade from now, passengers will get another chance to travel at near such speeds. Boom is currently making their Overture airplane that will be able to travel close to the Concorde speeds.
This is because whereas Concorde could fly at Mach 2 from London to New York, the Overture airplane will be able to travel at speeds up to Mach 1.7. The supersonic airliner will enter into passenger service in 2029.
What is Overture Airplane?
It is a supersonic aircraft manufactured by Boom, a U.S. based jet-maker. The jetliner is still a concept project, although it looks like this project will succeed to reach operational phase.
The aircraft will have delta wings just like the Concorde and able to carry at least 55 passengers. It will have a cruising altitude of 60, 000ft at speeds of up to Mach 1.7. At this speed, the airliner will be able to fly between London and New York in only 3 hours 30 minutes.
Unlike the Concorde, the Overture airplane will not have sonic boom as it will not use after burner engines. The supersonic jet will weigh 77,100 kg (170,000LB) and will produce the same noise as a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft during take-off.
Airlines That Have Placed Orders for the Supersonic Jet
On August 16, 2022, American Airlines announced that it has placed an order of 20 Overture airplane with an option of adding up to 40 more of the same jet in the future.
So far, various airlines have placed orders for the Boom Overture airplane. In 2016, Richard Branson confirmed that Virgin Group had placed orders for 10 aircraft. In the same year, another unnamed European airline placed an order for a quantity of 15 jets.
In 2017, Japan Airlines pre-ordered 20 aircraft with the possibility of adding more in the future. In 2021, United Airlines placed an order of 15 Overture airplanes with an option of adding a further 35.
Below is a table that summarized the number of orders currently in the works for the Boom Overture airplane. The combined total orders adds both the confirmed number and the option of placing additional orders in the future.
| Date of Order | Airline | Combined Orders |
| March 23, 2016 | The Virgin Group | 10 |
| March 23, 2016 | Confidential European Airline | 15 |
| June 30, 2017 | Confidential Airline | 51 |
| December 5th, 2017 | Japan Airlines | 20 |
| June 3, 2021 | United Airlines | 50 |
| August 16, 2022 | American Airlines | 60 |
| Total Overture Airplane Ordered | All airlines | 202 |
