United buys supersonic planes to halve journey times

United Airlines has reached an agreement with Boom Supersonic to purchase 15 planes capable of travelling at twice the speed of modern airliners.

The Overture aircraft will be able to fly at Mach 1.7 (1,300mph), potentially halving the transatlantic journey from Newark to London to three and a half hours.

Trial flights are scheduled to begin in 2026, with commercial use coming three years later.

United also has an option on an additional 35 planes from the Denver-based manufacturer. The initial order will be finalised once the aircraft meet “demanding safety, operating and sustainability requirements ”.

The Overture will carry fewer passengers than existing subsonic passenger jets, with 65 to 88 seats which will initially be priced at business class fares.

The firms say Overture will be the first large commercial aircraft to be net-zero carbon from day one, optimized to run on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

United CEO Scott Kirby said: “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.

“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.

“Our mission has always been about connecting people and now working with Boom, we'll be able to do that on an even greater scale. ”

Other potential routes for United are Newark to Frankfurt in four hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in just six hours.

“The world's first purchase agreement for net-zero carbon supersonic aircraft marks a significant step toward our mission to create a more accessible world, ” said Blake Scholl, Boom Supersonic founder and CEO.

“United and Boom share a common purpose - to unite the world safely and sustainably.

“At speeds twice as fast, United passengers will experience all the advantages of life lived in person, from deeper, more productive business relationships to longer, more relaxing vacations to far-off destinations. ”