Overture, Boom's supersonic for 2029
Updated: Aug 25
Updates: This article, originally published on February 26, 2024, has been preserved in its original form. New information about the progress of the Overture project is being added, by topic, in a separate section following the original text. Click on the topic of each update to view it.
First update, August 25, 2026: XB-1 and the first Overture
High-TechSociety.com | By Luiz Cincurá | Cite
It has been 20 years since Concorde was retired on October 24, 2003, after its last journey between New York and London. From its first commercial flight, on 01/21/1976 and for 27 years, Concorde transported almost four million people and carried out 50 thousand supersonic flights. However, high operating costs, high fares and a serious plane crash, among other factors, led to the closure of the first commercial plane to exceed the speed of sound.
The (privileged) supersonic passengers were nostalgic for these flights, which were carried out by 14 Concordes. The Concorde flew at 2,200 km/h per hour - almost twice the speed of sound - at an altitude of 18,000 meters. Thus, it was able to fly between Paris and New York in just 3h45min, allowing the passenger, depending on the time zones, to "arrive in New York before leaving Paris".
Despite the long passage of time since the last flight, commercial supersonics will be back. They will be produced by a startup, whose purpose is to reactivate supersonic commercial aviation, in a safer, more economical and more sustainable way. This new technological challenge has as its protagonist the startup Boom Supersonic , a manufacturing company based in Colorado, USA that is developing the “ Overture Supersonic ” aircraft project.
The first plane is expected to leave the factory in 2026 and by 2029 Boom Supersonic intends to start supersonic commercial flights. Boom's current timeline targets a first flight in 2027 and certification of the aircraft in 2029, which would have it ready to enter service shortly thereafter.
According to the CEO of Boom Supersonic, there is a challenge to be overcome: democratizing access to supersonic commercial aviation, as Concorde flights were elitist. "We set out with a very big and audacious goal of creating the first supersonic plane in which tens of millions of people can fly," told Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, to CNN. "Supersonic travel, in my opinion, is about bringing the world closer together. Our ultimate vision is supersonic flight for all passengers on all routes."
The Overture's engine will be the Symphony, which was designed with special attention to noise, one of the Concorde's biggest disadvantages: "It must be efficient in supersonic flights, but also silent for takeoff and landing," commented Scholl.
The Symphony engine was designed to run entirely on SAF, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a type of aviation fuel whose production methods promise to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%, according to IATA, the International Air Transport Association. Boom is also committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. All of these sustainability purposes will be assessed in the certification process.
The aircraft is being designed to carry between 64 and 80 passengers, at a speed of Mach 1.7 which represents 2,100 km/hour or 1,304 miles/hour, at an altitude of 60,000 feet or 18,000 meters. It is projected that Overture will be able to travel between London and New York in around three and a half hours, cutting travel time in half compared to traditional commercial flights.
The Overture Supersonic factory is under construction, starting in January 2023, in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, at the Piedmont Triad International Airport . With a significant portion of the exterior building constructed, the Overture Superfactory continues to take shape and remains on track for completion in 2024. The factory will include a final assembly line, a testing facility and a customer delivery center.
Boom has been building the campus in sections, focusing first on the final assembly line, where it will have the capacity to produce up to 33 Overture aircraft per year, which could grow to 66 per year with the addition of a second line. Overture Superfactory will occupy approximately 150,000 square feet, equivalent to 13,935 m² with an additional 24,000 square feet, equivalent to 2,229 m² of office space.
"Our vision for Piedmont Triad International Airport is to become the center of aviation innovation ," said Kevin Baker, Executive Director of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. "Boom is positioned to define the next century of progress in air travel, and we are proud to see its vision taking shape in our backyard with the Overture Superfactory in the Triad."
Boom says it will bring more than 1,750 jobs to North Carolina by 2030, expanding to a total of more than 2,400 jobs by 2032. North Carolina economists estimate the Overture Superfactory will grow the state's economy by at least $32 .3 billion in 20 years.
To date, three airlines have placed purchase orders for the Overture Supersonic: United Airlines, American Airlines and Japan Airlines, with a total of 130 orders.
By Luiz Cincurá
This article was produced entirely by the author, based on independent research, critical analysis, and original writing, with all references duly cited and without the use of artificial intelligence.
Sources:
ABC11. Boom wants supersonic plane travel for everyone - but can it deliver? Available at: https://abc11.com/boom-supersonic-airplane-overture/13592668/> Accessed on: 24.fev.2024.
BOOM. Boom Supersonic Reaches Overture Superfactory Milestone. Available at: <https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-reaches-overture-superfactory-milestone> Accessed on: 24.fev.2024.
CNN. PRISCO, Jacopo. Boom wants supersonic plane travel for everyone — but can it deliver? Available at: < https://www.cnn.com/travel/boom-supersonic-ambitions-scn/index.html > Accessed on: 24.Feb.2024.
G1 PORTAL. Discover Overture, a supersonic plane project that will have twice the speed of current aircraft . Available at: < https://g1.globo.com/inovacao/noticia/2022/08/17/conheca-o-overture-projeto-de-aviao-supersonico-que-tera-o-dobro-da-velocidade- das-aeronaves-atuais.ghtml > Accessed on: 24.dec.2024>.
PRNEWSWIRE. (News provided by Boom Supersonic). Boom Supersonic Reaches Overture Superfactory Milestone . Available at: < https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boom-supersonic-reaches-overture-superfactory-milestone-301933449.html > Accessed on: Feb 26, 2024.
FROG. The_ultima_of_concorde (2008). < http://dn.sapo.pt/2005/12/02/boa_vida/o_ultimo_do_concorde.html > Link discontinued.
TAYLOR, Chris. ACG PIEDMONT TRIAD NETWORK. Boom Supersonic - Building the Supersonic Future . Available at: < https://www.acg.org/piedmont-triad-network/events/boom-supersonic-building-supersonic-future > Access at : 25.Feb.2024.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT. Piedmont Triad International Embraces Aerospace Innovation . Available at: < https://www.tradeandindustrydev.com/industry/aerospace-defense/piedmont-triad-international-embraces-aerospace-31970 > Accessed on: 25.feb.2024.
VIDEO FROM SPACE. NY to London in 3.5 hours? Meet Boom Supersonic's 'Overture' aircraft. Available at: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB0ME_6_gSk > Accessed on: 25.Feb.2024.
First update, August 25, 2026: XB-1 and the first Overture
When this article was published on February 25, 2024, Boom Supersonic anticipated that the first Overture would roll off the assembly line in 2026 and make its maiden flight in 2027. The factory designated for assembling the Overture has been completed. Scheduled for 2026, the unveiling of the first commercial aircraft has not yet been confirmed.
During this time, however, another Boom aircraft reached an important milestone.
On March 22, 2024, less than a month after this article was originally published, the XB-1 made its first flight. From there, the aircraft completed a series of 13 test flights, the last two of which were supersonic. On January 28, 2025, during the 12th flight of the test campaign, it broke the sound barrier for the first time, reaching Mach 1.122. On February 10, 2025, it completed its 13th and final flight—the second supersonic flight—reaching Mach 1.18 and concluding its test campaign.
The XB-1, however, is not the first Overture. It is a technology demonstrator—an experimental aircraft built to test solutions and generate knowledge related to the development of supersonic aircraft. Although it initially emerged from concepts related to the Overture, the two projects evolved differently.
The distinction is important. A technology demonstrator does not need to fully replicate the commercial product that will eventually be manufactured. It allows for the testing of technologies, materials, aerodynamics, systems, and in-flight behavior before this knowledge is applied to the development of a subsequent aircraft. A prototype, on the other hand, is an experimental version of the very product that is intended to be produced later.
Therefore, the fact that the XB-1 broke the sound barrier does not mean that the Overture has already flown. The result demonstrated Boom’s ability to design, build, and operate an experimental supersonic aircraft and allowed the company to gain knowledge that can be applied to the development of the Overture.
Progress has also been made on the infrastructure needed for future production. In June 2024, Boom completed its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, which was built to house the aircraft’s final assembly line. The next milestone, scheduled for 2026, is the rollout of the first Overture—the public unveiling of the first completed aircraft—prior to the start of the tests leading up to its maiden flight. As of August, the date for this event had not yet been announced.
The period since the original publication has thus seen two distinct developments: the XB-1 experimental project achieved supersonic flight and completed its mission, while the Overture project is moving forward with its development, with the unveiling of the first commercial aircraft scheduled for 2026.
Sources for this update: Boom Supersonic; Piedmont Triad Airport Authority; The News & Observer.
How to cite this publication:
ANDRADE, Luiz Inácio Caribé Cincurá de. Overture, Boom's supersonic for 2029. High-Tech Society, Feb. 26, 2024. Available at: https://www.high-techsociety.com/en/post/overture-boom-s-supersonic-for-2029
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