United Bets on Supersonic Future With $3 Billion Boom Jet Order

Three and-a-half hour jaunts to London from Newark, New Jersey, and six-hour trips to Tokyo from San Francisco.

United Airlines is jumping into the potential market for supersonic travel with the first firm order for Boom Technology inc’s Overture aircraft, wagering that business flyers will pay top dollar for speedier trips across oceans.

The airline will buy 15 of the supersonic jets, which are expected to carry passengers in 2029, the companies said in a statement Thursday. At $200 million a plane, the deal is valued at $3 billion at list prices and Boom doesn’t offer discounts, said Blake Scholl, the aircraft developer’s founder and chief executive officer. United also took purchase options for 35 more planes.

United plans to be the debut operator of the Overture, which will be able to seat as many as 88 people. The airline’s coastal hubs in leading business-travel markets make the jet “uniquely useful” for United, said Mike Leskinen, vice president of corporate development. While supersonic flight is banned over land in the U.S., United sees three and-a-half hour jaunts to London from Newark, New Jersey, and six-hour trips to Tokyo from San Francisco.

Source: Bloomberg