American Airlines Places Order For 20 Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft

American Airlines decided to follow United Airlines, which placed an order with Boom in June 2021 (read more here), by placing an order for 20 Overture aircraft with an option for 40 more.

These Boom Supersonic aircraft are slower than Concorde but can fly roughly at double the speed of today’s aircraft when over water.

You can access AA here.

Announcement from American Airlines:

American Airlines Announces Agreement to Purchase Boom Supersonic Overture Aircraft, Places Deposit on 20 Overtures

American, the world’s largest airline, poised to have the world’s largest supersonic fleet with new Boom Supersonic aircraft

FORT WORTH, Texas, and DENVER, Aug. 16, 2022 — American Airlines and Boom Supersonic today announced the airline’s agreement to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40. American has paid a non-refundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft. Overture is expected to carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft.

Boom Supersonic’s Overture would introduce an important new speed advantage to American’s fleet, which is currently the simplest, youngest and most efficient among U.S. network carriers. Under the terms of the agreement, Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures.

“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.”

Overture is being designed to carry 65 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 over water — or twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft — with a range of 4,250 nautical miles. Optimized for speed, safety and sustainability, Overture is also being designed to fly more than 600 routes around the world in as little as half the time. Flying from Miami to London in just under five hours and Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours are among the many possibilities.

“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.”

In July, Boom revealed the final production design of Overture, which is slated to roll out in 2025 and carry its first passengers by 2029.

Conclusion

Boom plans to have first plane ready in 2025 and have to certified and enter passenger service in 2029. These estimates are always extraordinarily optimistic, and I cannot remember a single aircraft type that wouldn’t have been late (usually years).

However, there is a need for faster transportation on select business-heavy routes. Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft can significantly cut the flying time on routes that are primarily over water.