United Orders Boom Supersonic Airliners

United Airlines has signed an agreement with Boom Supersonic to purchase 15 Overture supersonic airliners once the model meets United’s “safety, operating and sustainability requirements.” Announced on Thursday, the deal also includes options for 35 additional aircraft. Boom is partnering with Rolls-Royce on a propulsion system for the Overture, which is expected to fly at speeds of up to Mach 1.7.

“United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today’s advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “Boom’s vision for the future of commercial aviation, combined with the industry’s most robust route network in the world, will give business and leisure travelers access to a stellar flight experience.”

As previously reported by AVweb, Boom rolled out its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, which was designed to demonstrate key technologies for the Overture model, in October 2020. Boom is planning to fly the Overture for the first time in 2026 and hopes to have it enter service in 2029. According to the company, the aircraft will be “optimized to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).”