American places order for 20 supersonic jets from Boom Supersonic.
American Airlines has agreed to purchase 20 supersonic Overture planes from Boom Supersonic, both companies announced Tuesday.
The deal includes an option for an additional 40 planes.
The Overture jets have speeds of up to Mach 1.7 over water – twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft.
The planes are expected to roll off the production line from 2025 and carry the first passengers in 2029.
It would mark a return of supersonic transatlantic travel after a near-30 year hiatus, following the retirement of Concorde, which flew at a top speed of Mach 2.04.
American Airlines is promising Miami to London in under five hours when it takes delivery of the jets.
Blake Scholl, the founder and chief executive of Boom, said: “We believe Overture can help American deepen its competitive advantage on network, loyalty and overall airline preference through the paradigm-changing benefits of cutting travel times in half.”
Neither Boom nor the airlines have released expected prices, but Scholl previously said tickets would be “affordable”.
He said: “I started this because I was sad that I never got to fly on Concorde. I waited but no one was doing it, so I decided to. Ultimately I want people to be able to get anywhere in the world in five hours for $100 (£83).
“To get there you have to improve fuel efficiency, but step by step supersonic air travel will become available for everyone. This is supersonic passenger air travel, no bullshit, and it’s actually affordable.”
Derek Kerr, American’s chief financial officer, said: “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.”
American is the third airline to place an order for the jets, after United Airlines ordered 15 last year, and Virgin Atlantic reached a deal in 2016.
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