We just need to build it: Concorde’s replacement is looking at supersonic flights from America

Boom Supersonic’s founder explains why air travel will be at 1,300mph in the future.

The founder of a company that is seeking to build the successor to Concorde, has reacted to “flight shame” activists calling for an end to mass travel.

Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic said that the call to reduce flights in order to limit CO2 emissions was “depressing”.

He said: “Some people look at this, and think, ‘Well I guess we all should have less things. We should be using less energy and going to fewer places.

“I believe that the future will be one of abundance.” I believe that human flourishing is the north star and we should create a future where more people can travel to more places, more often.

Mr Scholl, who was present at the Farnborough International Airshow last month, where Boom revealed its 64-seat 1,300mph Overture jet, along with four former Concorde Pilots, claims that those who call themselves flight shamers ultimately seek to stifle progress.

“Can you imagine this on Zoom?” It’s worse. I want my kids to experience a world in which they have traveled to other continents and shared food with others.

“We need faster flights, we have to make them affordable for people, and yes, we must care about the environment.”

Denver-based Boom has 130 orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. It is the only supersonic aircraft left in the industry, after Aerion’s collapse three years ago.

The Overture costs $200m (£160m) excluding interiors, which is less than the price of the cheapest widebody aircraft. Boom aims to begin deliveries in 2029.

Scholl estimated that airlines would require more than 1,000 supersonic planes based on how many people fly in business class on routes where the demand for supersonic travel is sufficient to boost profit.

He believes that “every major airline in the world will need supersonic technology to remain competitive”.

Scholl, who is preparing for the inevitable backlash of flight critics as service entry approaches, has defended a plane which would be able to cross the Atlantic within three and a quarter hours.

He argues that the key to reducing supersonic emission is adopting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), just like it is for subsonic flight. Even the Overture could be carbon neutral if production was increased to a level where planes could fly on 100% SAF.

He said, “It is the only fuel compatible with our existing aeroplanes and the only one that’s dense enough to transport people over long distances.” But we need to have enough.”

Supersonic jets, which fly twice as fast, will burn fuel in half the time, even though they need at least seven-times more energy.

Mr Scholl stated: “The planes are twice the speed so they will also decarbonise two times as quickly.” We need to find solutions that are cost-effective and scalable.

The International Council on Clean Transportation, a think tank, says that calculations show that using SAF on supersonic flight would be an inefficient use of fuel.

SAF could reduce supersonic CO2 by 90% when produced synthetically with green electricity. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says that the benefit compared to a subsonic aircraft burning traditional kerosene is only 24pc.

Mr Scholl stated that the four engine Overture will comply with the same sound standards as other aircraft and that it would only go supersonic when traveling over the ocean. This limitation, however, will still allow the plane to fly on approximately 600 routes.

He said: “If I speak to people that were under Concorde’s path, they all smile. They miss it. There will be many more Overtures so you have to keep quiet.

The engines and aeroplane are designed to be quiet. We’ll put the sonic blast over the ocean, where no one will hear it.

Boom plans to produce 33 aircraft per year in its North Carolina factory, which was finished in June. This number will double when a second assembly is added.

Scholl, the company’s XB-1 demonstration jet, described by Scholl as the first independently developed supersonic aircraft in the world, flew above the Mojave Desert in March. It is expected to fly again as soon as this month, before reaching supersonic speeds later in the year.

After abandoning plans to purchase engines from Rolls-Royce, Boom will also develop its own engines for Overture, in collaboration with Kratos. Kratos helped design the turbines for F-22 and F-35 combat aircraft.

Scholl explained that because the engines will run at full speed for a longer period of time, compared to subsonic engines. The operating and maintenance costs are lower. “So, the fares could come down, and more people could fly supersonic.”

The biggest obstacle for Boom, along with the opposition of the green lobby, may be its inability to raise capital. This was the reason why Aerion failed after Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Electric pulled their support.

Scholl stated that the Overture programme, which has attracted funding of $700m, is a multi-billion dollar program, and must maintain investor and customer interest with each milestone.

Boom is still a standout for its ambition, especially in an industry that has not seen a new aircraft launched since Boeing or Airbus did so 20 years ago. They do not expect to do it again until mid-2030.

Scholl stated: “It is clear to me now is the time. The legacy guys have gone a generation without creating anything new. The airline CEOs want something. Passengers, when you mention supersonic, they go crazy. The people deserve this.

There’s no guarantee that we will succeed, but we can build one of the world’s most valuable companies if we do.

Mike Bannister (former chief pilot of British Airways Concorde fleet) put the Overture to the test on a simulation at the Farnborough International Airshow. He said that it represented an “unbelievable level” of progress for the aviation industry and should not be suppressed.

He said, “People always wanted to go faster. It’s the reason we domesticated horses 5,000 years before, then invented the car, plane, and finally the jet engine.

“Supersonic flights are an extension of this and there is definitely a market.” Speed and time in business are literally money. In the leisure market, people are willing to pay more for a premium flight. “I’d love to see it happen.”

Scholl insists that the technological advances made in aviation must not be sacrificed to climate politics. He believes that science and not abstinence is the key to achieving the target of zero net carbon emissions for 2050.

He said: “I hope to live in a world where there are more and better opportunities for humans and that the environment around us is one we can enjoy more.

We can have this future. “We just need to build it.”