Flight of Fancy

Boom plans to roll out Overture models in two years and aims to have planes passenger-ready in four years, meaning supersonic flights could resume by the end of the decade.

- THEO BURMAN

CONCORDE'S RETIREMENT IN 2003 BROUGHT THE curtain down on an age of supersonic passenger flights. Now, two decades later, Boom Supersonic is trying to revive that era. It's not just about the speed, the technology or the glamour, says its CEO—something even more important is at stake.

“Imagine a future in which our children have friends from other continents that they actually spend time with and what that does for the world,” Blake Scholl told Newsweek. “It’s very hard to go to war with somebody you've met.”

That prospect is edging closer. Tests have taken place for the Boom Overture, a spiritual successor to Concorde that could fly between London and New York City in just three-and-a-half hours, with plans to revive the Atlantic journey and open other routes across the world.

With those high-profile tests using a dedicated demonstrator jet, Boom is rekindling excitement about commercial supersonic flight. But beneath the optimism lies a complex web of engineering puzzles and the daunting task of building an entirely new engine, while also navigating an environmentally conscious culture that has become increasingly critical of excessive air travel.

The Legacy of Supersonic Travel

The first steps toward commercial supersonic travel began in the 1960s, an era defined by bold technological feats and acute international rivalry.

The Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144 debuted just ahead of the Anglo-French Concorde, a symbol of European collaboration, but it was the latter that truly captured the public imagination.