Contact us

The world is better off when families can spend more time together, businesses have more opportunities to succeed in our global economy, and world leaders can foster greater understanding through face-to-face meetings. By leveraging the transformative power of supersonic air travel and travel speeds twice as fast, Boom is removing the barriers to experiencing the planet (time, money and hassle) and making the world dramatically more accessible.

We’re designing the end-to-end passenger experience to provide a tranquil and stress-free journey from the moment you step aboard Overture. Imagine a large personal window, direct aisle access, and dedicated underseat storage.

With seat dimensions comparable to short-haul first class, we’re implementing design improvements to optimize the passenger experience. On flights over 4–6 hours, airlines may also offer a first-class, lie-flat experience.

Supersonic aircraft fly higher than existing airliners, cruising at up to 60,000 feet. At this altitude, you fly above most of the turbulence, allowing a smoother ride than on subsonic aircraft. Looking out your window, you will see the darkness of space above you and the curvature of the Earth below.

Passengers won't even notice breaking through the "sound barrier," which is inaudible and uneventful. On Concorde, announcements were made and champagne was served to celebrate the moment, which otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

Final ticket prices will be set by airlines, but we’re designing Overture so that airlines will be able to offer fares similar to today's long-haul, business-class travel. Our ultimate vision is to reduce operating costs to make supersonic flight even more affordable and accessible.

Flying is by far the safest way to travel, and supersonic commercial airplanes will be certified to the same safety standards as today's subsonic airliners, making them as safe as any other passenger aircraft.

A common misconception is that supersonic flights carry elevated radiation exposure for passengers. Overture will fly higher and faster than existing aircraft, but because it will spend less time in the thinner atmosphere, there will be no more radiation exposure than on subsonic flights of similar distances.

On the other hand, sitting for hours on a long-haul subsonic flight comes with its own health risks—when flights take half as long, passengers will spend less time sitting still.

XB-1 is the 2-seat demonstrator airplane for Overture and a critical step toward mainstream supersonic travel. XB-1 will prove the key technologies for safe, efficient travel at Mach 2.2.

Overture is Boom’s Mach-2.2 commercial airliner and will be the fastest airliner ever created and history’s most efficient supersonic jet.

A major problem with Concorde was its size. The airplane had more seats than could be filled at the required prices, flying much of the time with only 1 in 4 seats filled by paying passengers. Overture has 55–75 seats, carrying about as many people as the premium cabin in a typical widebody aircraft. If a widebody aircraft can fly with a good load factor—the percentage of seats filled—we expect to operate Overture with a similar schedule and good load factors.

We are currently building XB-1, which will be completed this year and break the sound barrier in 2020. XB-1’s flight tests will prove many of the key technologies for safe, efficient travel at Mach 2.2.

Overture is in the early design stages, and we’re targeting the mid-2020s for it to enter service. We will pursue rigorous airworthiness testing and FAA certification on an aggressive timeline, and we will never compromise on safety or cut corners.

Total operating cost per seat-mile is comparable to subsonic business class.

Fuel burn per seat-mile is comparable to subsonic business class.

No. Afterburners are deafening, they produce a lot of pollution near the ground, and they require a huge amount of fuel. They’re a big reason that many communities weren’t thrilled about Concorde, which needed afterburners just to get off the ground (and again to get through the transonic regime around Mach 1). Thanks to five more decades of technological progress in propulsion design, Overture will be able reach Mach 2.2 without afterburners—it’s a much more efficient and quieter aircraft.

XB-1’s off-the-shelf engines will require afterburners to get to Mach 2.2.

Overture will go through the same certification process as all other commercial airplanes flying today. Type certification is a rigorous, multi-year endeavor that will put our aircraft through every imaginable situation—lightning strikes, heavy crosswinds, extreme hot and cold temperatures, and simulated emergencies are just a few of the conditions cases we’ll test. In addition, as Concorde did, we expect to comply with special conditions related specifically to supersonic flight.

XB-1 will receive an airworthiness certificate in the experimental R&D category.

Boom is designing Overture to be compatible with existing ground support equipment, gates, and runways. It will be able to operate out of all major international airports without any modifications to terminal design or runway length.

Overture’s single-segment range is long enough to make it across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping. On longer routes, such as across the Pacific, the airplane will make a brief tech stop to refuel. We’re taking this opportunity to rethink best practices for fuel stops—minimizing time on the ground and disturbance to passengers. The entire process will take less than an hour, and passengers won’t have to deplane. All of our quoted route times include these stops, if necessary.

The actual sale price of the aircraft is $200M, plus options and interior. On an available premium-seat-mile basis, Overture is meaningfully less costly to operate than subsonic widebody aircraft.

Our focus with Overture is to develop and build a commercial supersonic airliner for anyone who can afford a business-class ticket, not a private jet for the ultra-wealthy. However, our airliner can also be configured as a personal or business aircraft.

Historically, supersonic flight has not been economical enough for routine commercial operations. Today, we finally have the technology for efficient, economical, and safe supersonic flight. Key advancements, such as composite fuselages and high-temperature material systems, have only recently been accepted by the FAA for use on commercial aircraft.

By improving efficiency over Concorde’s half-century-old airframe and engines, Overture will reduce operating costs enough to turn a profit at business-class fare levels that the market already supports.

While final ticket prices will be set by airlines, we’re designing Overture to have fares similar to today’s long-haul, business-class travel.

Supersonic travel represents a significant shift in the competitive landscape. Today's carriers have thin margins and often only differentiate themselves on the comfort of their seats, the quality of their food, and the friendliness of their crews. But when time becomes a dimension for differentiation, airlines operating supersonic airliners can set themselves apart.

Therefore, the first airlines to adopt supersonic jets will enjoy a significant competitive advantage. Offering dramatically faster itineraries will give operators an edge in attracting their competitors’ most profitable premium passengers. A halo effect increases market share even on subsonic routes, as customers prefer to earn loyalty points with carriers who offer supersonic service.

Overture flights will focus on 500+ primarily transoceanic routes that benefit from Mach-2.2 speeds—such as New York to London or San Francisco to Tokyo. Overture won't generate a sonic boom over land cruising at subsonic speeds. Its passengers won't even notice breaking through the "sound barrier," which will be inaudible and uneventful.

There will be no increase to existing noise contours. Overture is being designed with the latest noise-reducing technologies. As supersonic airplanes are fundamentally different from subsonic airplanes, broadly different standards are applicable and noise levels are not directly comparable. However, the overall impact of Overture on airport communities will be similar to the quietest long-haul aircraft it replaces.

The environmental impact of flying on Overture will be comparable to flying in subsonic business class on any given route. When flights take half the time, amenities like bulky lay-flat beds and multiple catered meals become unnecessary, saving fuel and reducing emissions.

In addition, Boom is inventing the future of sustainable supersonic commercial air travel and is supportive of the UN’s existing goal of carbon-neutral growth in aviation. We recently successfully conducted the first of several alternative-fuel tests, and we are committed to pushing the envelope to implement new ways of making supersonic travel environmentally and socially sustainable for generations to come.

Thank you for your excitement! For Boom t-shirts, models or other swag, visit our online store.

Boom is privately held and funded by individual investors, venture capital funds, and future airline customers.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer tours. As we build XB-1, we will share our progress on our website and social media, so check back often.