Fractional operator Flexjet has become Aerion’s first firm fleet customer, with an order for 20 supersonic jets, Flexjet announced Tuesday at the NBAA convention in Las Vegas. The Aerion AS2 business jet, which is expected to enter service in 2023, will save travelers up to three hours of flight time on trans-Atlantic trips compared to subsonic aircraft, Flexjet said, and will save more than six hours on trans-Pacific routes. The AS2 jet is designed to carry up to 12 passengers at speeds up to Mach 1.5.
“We have examined Aerion’s technology and the AS2’s remarkable performance capabilities, and see them as potential game-changers for business travel,” said Flexjet chairman Kenn Ricci. “Aerion and Airbus Group are moving forward impressively with the AS2’s development,” he added. Aerion and Flexjet will work together to design unique luxury interiors for the AS2 for the Flexjet fleet. At the list price of $120 million per jet, the deal would have a value of about $2.4 billion.
