Today, let's too into a potential Supersonic Travel Comeback.

Are We Ready to Fly Faster Than Ever?

Remember the Concorde? That sleek, supersonic jet that could zip you from New York to London in just 3.5 hours? It was the epitome of luxury and speed, but it vanished from the skies in 2003, leaving a sonic boom-sized hole in the world of aviation. Fast forward to 2025, and supersonic travel is making a roaring comeback—thanks to companies like Boom Supersonic, who are determined to bring back the thrill of flying faster than sound. But is the world ready for supersonic travel 2.0?

Boom Supersonic, based in Denver, is leading the charge with its Overture jet, a modern-day Concorde designed to carry 64-80 passengers at speeds of Mach 1.7. That’s more than twice the speed of today’s commercial jets. On January 28th, Boom hit a major milestone when its one-third-scale demonstrator, the XB-1, broke the sound barrier for the first time. This 34-minute test flight in California’s Mojave Desert marks a significant step toward making supersonic travel a reality again.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s still a long way to go before you can book a ticket on Overture. For starters, Boom has to build the actual plane and develop its custom Symphony engines, which are still in the works. The company aims to have Overture ready for its maiden flight by 2028, with commercial flights starting as early as 2029. That’s an ambitious timeline, but Boom’s CEO, Blake Scholl, is confident. He sees Overture as the SpaceX of supersonic travel—a commercially viable, money-making machine, unlike the Concorde, which was more about national pride than profitability.

The appeal of supersonic travel is obvious: who wouldn’t want to cut their flight time in half? Imagine flying from New York to London in just five hours or Los Angeles to Tokyo in six. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about reimagining how we connect with the world. As Scholl puts it, “We believe in a world where more people can go to more places more often.”

Of course, there are challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is the sonic boom—the thunderous noise created when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier. This was a major reason why Concorde was restricted from flying over land, limiting its routes to over-water paths. Boom and other companies are working on quieter designs, with NASA even developing a “low-boom” aircraft that produces a softer “heartbeat” sound instead of the traditional double bang.

Then there’s the environmental factor. Supersonic jets are notorious for their high fuel consumption and emissions. To address this, Boom plans to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is cleaner than traditional jet fuel. Other companies, like Venus Aerospace, are pushing the envelope even further with hypersonic drones and spaceplanes capable of Mach 9 speeds—yes, that’s nine times the speed of sound. These futuristic designs promise zero carbon emissions and the ability to fly anywhere in the world within an hour.

The race to bring back supersonic travel is heating up, with airlines like American, United, and Japan Airlines already placing orders for Overture. But the real question is: will passengers be willing to pay a premium for speed? Concorde tickets were notoriously expensive, and while Boom hasn’t announced pricing yet, it’s safe to assume that supersonic travel won’t come cheap.

Still, the idea of shrinking the world and making long-haul flights a thing of the past is undeniably exciting. Whether it’s Boom’s Overture or another company’s hypersonic dream, the future of air travel is looking faster, sleeker, and more sustainable. So, buckle up—supersonic travel is coming back, and it’s going to be one heck of a ride.