United Airlines Wants to Bring Back Supersonic Air Travel

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/tr...sonic-jets-cut-travel-time-half-n1269563

isn't buying aircraft from a new company same as buying a new car the first year with all the defects still in it?

https://boomsupersonic.com/overture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boom_Overture

OK Boom.

I can't see there being much of a market.

How much was the ticket on the Concorde? It was only the rich that flew on it, wasn't it?

“In today’s money a Concorde around-trip around the Atlantic will cost about $20,000."

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/concorde-boom-supersonic-ticket-price-16873230

Even though a ride on the new aircraft is projected to only cost a fraction of that, it's still fairly extravagant for these uncertain economic times.

This entire venture almost feels like one of the many daring proposals cooked up in the heady days before the 2008 Crash.

20000! That's a ton!

I offer 3 points of rebuttal:

1. Transoceanic flights - the physical demand for that (at any speed) must be larger than in the Concorde days.

2. Tech - obviously has been and still is maturing at ever increasing rates, far beyond what Concorde designers could achieve.

3. Money. It is being hoarded by the "elite", and they have enough to literally use it as toilet paper or fireplace feed. They'll pay. They won't abandon their Gulfstreams and yachts for transportation, but they'll hit the supersonic market too, and in far larger numbers than the Concorde days. There's simply far more insanely, obscenely rich people walking around these days. And no, the money they spend on the tickets will NOT be a "Job Creator".

Knocking a few hours off of a flight, and the novelty value of experiencing supersonic speeds, for folks that can probably easily afford to book a ride in a jet fighter, just doesn't sound like a particularly strong business case to me.

If anything, I think the future of luxury air travel will be slow:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/the-airship-is-making-a-futuristic-luxury-comeback/







https://www.verzun.com/floating-luxury-hotel-airship-concept-by-Seymourpowell

Business travel has already been declining due to the rise of video conferencing apps like Zoom and MS Teams. This new "Concorde" venture will only appeal to a very small niche segment of the market.

I think it could work. There have been significant advancements in materials and in engine technology since the Concorde was designed which could increase the number of airports at which this will be allowed (the real thing that hurt the SST, in my opinion). On the other hand, with the heightened concern for climate change that's going on the timing is far from ideal.

I wouldn't be shocked if, by the 2030s when this supersonic plane is supposed to enter service, electric powered planes will account for a large and growing portion of the passenger and cargo market.