United Airlines to Usher in Supersonic Travel

Ever imagined how a 5-hour flight to New York would feel like Or if it would even be feasible Well, we don't know about Delhi to New York yet but Londoners could be taking three-hour flights to New York and vice-versa. A couple of days ago, United Airlines inked a 15-plane deal with Boom Supersonic, whose supersonic jets fly at twice the speed of the best aircraft operating today. This also means that San Francisco to Tokyo will mean just six hours of flying time, from the current 11-hours duration.

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The US airline is investing $3bn in a new expansion that could forever redefine aviation and revive the Concordean-era spirit, experts suggest. United will be getting the Boom Overture, an aircraft that, with its iconic delta wing and futuristically aerodynamic shape, is expected to offer supersonic flying at business-class fares. However, this is on United's part an investment that is targeted at taking revenues up as flying time gets halved.

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Flights would, however, take a while to start. 2029 is when the first United Boom jet could take off&mdashafter the carbon-fibre fleet meets "United's safety, operating and sustainability requirements", according to joint press release issued by the companies. "Our mission has always been about connecting people and now working with Boom, we'll be able to do that on an even greater scale," shared Scott Kirby, United Chief Executive. 

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Interestingly, supersonic travel wouldn't be taking place for the first time. In the 1970s, super-expensive flights were started in Concorde planes. However, the aircraft was deemed infeasible on account of the high costs it ran up in order to meet environmental guidelines. An air accident that killed over a 100 passengers in the year 2000 proved to be the final nail in its coffin.