American Airlines Orders 20 Supersonic Planes From Boom

Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft - Photo source: Boom 

On Tuesday, August 18, American Airlines announced that it had agreed to buy 20 supersonic Overture planes from Boom Supersonic. Boom's Overture aircraft can fly at twice the speed of today's fastest commercial aircraft.

Miami ?? London in less than 5hrs? LA ?? Honolulu in 3hrs? Wouldn't that be SUPER? We’re here for it and so is @BoomAero. Learn about our partnership with #BoomSupersonic and the #Overture expected to fly 2x the speed of today’s fastest commercial jets: https://t.co/oWJYW6r6zT. pic.twitter.com/kvdoYWvaal

— americanair (@AmericanAir) August 16, 2022

American became the third major airline to announce a supersonic order from Boom Aviation in Denver, following in the footsteps of Japan Airlines in 2017 and United Airlines in 2021.

“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” said Derek Kerr, American’s Chief Financial Officer. “We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”

American Airlines Fleet Utilization Statistics provided by AirNav RadarBox 

According to the company's press release, the agreement with Boom gives the airline an option to purchase an additional 40 supersonic airplanes. The Overture jets are expected to be launched in 2025 and put passengers in the air by 2029.

The supersonic jet manufacturer says the Overture jet will fly as fast as Mach 1.7, or 1,304 mph, dramatically cutting trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flight times. The Overture aircraft can get travellers from Miami to London in less than 5 hours, instead of the typical 8 hours and 40 minutes, carrying 65 to 80 passengers.

American Airlines Statistics (August 7 - August 13) provided by AirNav RadarBox

“We are proud to share our vision of a more connected and sustainable world with American Airlines,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom. “We believe Overture can help American deepen its competitive advantage on network, loyalty and overall airline preference through the paradigm-changing benefits of cutting travel times in half.”