US airline United has announced plans to buy 15 new supersonic airliners and "return supersonic speeds to aviation" in the year 2029. The ne

United plans supersonic passenger flights by 2029

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2021-06-05 10:00:06

US airline United has announced plans to buy 15 new supersonic airliners and "return supersonic speeds to aviation" in the year 2029.

The new Overture aircraft will be produced by a Denver-based company called Boom, which has yet to flight-test a supersonic jet.

A typical passenger jet may cruise at about 560mph (900km/h) but Overture is expected to reach speeds of 1,122mph (1,805km/h) - also known as Mach 1.7.

Concorde, which entered passenger service in 1976, was even faster with a maximum speed of Mach 2.04 - about 1,350mph (2180km/h).

Travelling faster than the speed of sound causes a sonic boom, which can be heard on the ground as a loud thunderclap or explosion. It's where the company Boom got its name.

The boom limits where the planes can fly. Typically they must lower their speed until they are out over the ocean, away from citizens who may be disturbed by the loud bang.

Boom says it is confident that its plane will not be any louder than other modern passenger jets while taking off, flying over land and landing. It also hopes improvements in aircraft design since Concorde will help it reduce and mitigate the sonic boom.

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