The final Concorde supersonic flights touched down in 2003.
For almost two decades, travellers – regardless of their wealth – have been limited to subsonic aircraft.
But could plans for a high-speed civil aircraft for the 21st century now be taking off?
Miami to London in under five hours: that is the promise from American Airlines when it takes delivery of a new generation of supersonic jets.
The giant carrier, based in Dallas, has announced an “agreement to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40”.
Its rival, United, has already paid a deposit on 15 of the new planes.
They are to be made by Boom Supersonic, based in Denver.
But will it ever happen? These are the key questions and answers.
What went wrong with Concorde?
The Anglo-French jet flew its first test flight in 1969, and carried paying passengers for Air France and British Airways from 1976 until 2003.
The plane flew up to 100 passengers at a time at Mach 2.04 – equivalent to 1,350mph at its cruising altitude of 60,000 feet. Travellers from London and Paris to New York and Washington DC arrived earlier than they had departed, local time.
But Concorde was fitted with noisy and thirsty military engines. The 1960s technology used for the Anglo-French project was extremely challenging, with the aluminium airframe extending by about 15 inches due to the heat generated by friction during supersonic flight.
The aircraft was grounded by a combination of high oil prices, low demand and concerns about safety following the 2000 crash in Paris in which 113 people died.
What’s the latest plan?
Denver-based Boom Supersonic is developing a new passenger aircraft known as Overture.
The proposed “SST” – supersonic transport – will have a range of 4,890 miles, about one-third more than Concorde, and will fly at Mach 1.7.
At 60,000 feet that equates to a ground speed of around 1,050mph – slower than Concorde, but around twice as fast as current short-haul aircraft. They tend to fly at Mach 0.85.
“Sustainable supersonic travel enables three-day business trips to become one-day hops, long-distance relationships to thrive, and humanitarian missions to save more lives,” says the company.
When will it be ready?
“Overture is slated to roll out in 2025, begin test flights in 2026, and carry passengers by 2029,” says Boom Supersonic.
In 2017, though, the company said it would be flying scheduled services by 2023.
How many passengers will be on board?
That is one of several…
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