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It’s been almost twenty-two years since the final Concorde flight left the tarmac, and soared across the Atlantic. But supersonic air travel could soon be making a rather almighty comeback, and new aircrafts are apparently already being tested. So, pop your seatbelts on, folks – and let me tell you all about it.
A significant change to the rules of extremely speedy air travel was made earlier this year, when a piece of US legislation was signed to remove the long-standing ban on supersonic travel. This led to a lot of tech-tycoons and industry-insiders putting their two cents in on when we could expect to see Concorde (or a similarly-speedy aircraft) return to the skies. A few names were thrown about in regards to who would be heading up the revival of these rapid planes, and it seems as though another company has now entered the chat.
The return of Concorde
Concorde completely revolutionised air-travel, zooming passengers across the Atlantic in record-breaking time. The fasted recorded Concorde flight between London and New York took place on February 7, 1996, and saw an aircraft whizz between the Big Smoke and the Big Apple in a rather gasp-inducing 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. To put that into context for you: a regular flight between the two cities currently takes at least 7 and a half hours. So yes, it was pretty darn speedy.
The final Concorde flight took off on November 26, 2003, and the pioneering planes were decommissioned. But the rather hefty rule change could now see rapid routes between New York and London return to the skies. And a company called Boom Supersonic seems to be sat in the cockpit.
Sandor Szmutko via Shutterstock Boom Supersonic
Boom are currently developing a supersonic airliner called the Overture. It’s been designed to transport between 64 and 80 passengers across the Atlantic Ocean in around three and a half hours, and air-travel aficionados like United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines have all reportedly committed to preorders of the shiny new plane. Boom believes their trail-blazing new planes can be up in the air by 2029, offering a minimum of 600 routes.
The original Concorde crafts were plagued by loud supersonic booms, but the Overture is set to fly at a ‘sufficiently high altitude’ and ‘an appropriate speed for current atmospheric conditions’. This will supposedly ensure that the sound of the sonic boom never reaches the ground.
It was reported in July that another company (Fly Concorde LTD) was also developing a speedy aircraft, featuring Concorde’s recognisably sleek design and sharp nose. Dubbed Concorde 2.0, this aircraft would run on sustainable aviation fuel and be approximately 50% lighter than its predecessor. The first Concorde 2.0 was rumoured to be ready to take off as soon as 2026. So, I guess only time will tell.
As I’m sure you can imagine, ticket prices for these speedy new aircrafts are set to be as high as the planes themselves. Overture, for example, will have an ‘all-premium’ cabin. It will deliver plenty of room, large windows, and ‘next-gen in-flight connectivity and interactivity’. But all fares will resemble those of a regular business class flight. So, in a word: expensive.
You can find out more about Boom Supersonic’s new Overture aircraft here.