The final journey of the Concorde, the iconic supersonic passenger jet, took place on the London to New York route on October 24, 2003. Now, nearly 23 years later, the aviation industry is on the verge of reintroducing supersonic flights. Several companies are gearing up to unveil their supersonic aircraft by the end of the decade. Projections from the European Aviation Safety Agency suggest that by 2035, the number of supersonic passenger flights in the region could exceed 13,000 annually.
What led to the decline of supersonic flights? The primary factor was economic viability. Supersonic jets consume about three to four times more fuel compared to their conventional counterparts. The Soviet Union’s Tu-144, which entered commercial service in 1978, only lasted seven months due to its lack of profitability. Although the Concorde had a longer operational life, airlines openly admitted they used the aircraft more for prestige than for profit. A ticket on the Concorde for a transatlantic journey was priced around $10,000—four times the cost of a ticket on a Boeing 747. The time saved (3.5 to 4 hours instead of 8) often did not justify the expense, making these flights more of a luxury than a necessity. Additionally, when supersonic jets break the sound barrier, they produce a loud sonic boom that can be heard from the ground up to tens of kilometers away. Consequently, U.S. regulations still prohibit civilian aircraft from exceeding the speed of sound over land. Currently, NASA is testing the X-59, an experimental aircraft designed to be the first "nearly silent" supersonic jet.
Looking ahead, the American firm Boom Supersonic is poised to introduce the first commercial supersonic airliner in decades, called the Overture. The company is already in the testing phase and has received around 130 orders from major airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines. The Overture is expected to accommodate 64 to 80 passengers, flying at an altitude of approximately 18 kilometers and reaching speeds of about 2,200 kilometers per hour. The initial deliveries of these advanced, fuel-efficient, and swift aircraft are anticipated in 2029, assuming there are no production or certification delays. Would you consider flying on a supersonic plane?
Informational material. 18+.
