Sustainable supersonic airliner Overture will be in revenue service by 2029, the first step in making flying faster the cheapest option. Paul E Eden reports

Boom’s long-term approach to the future of sustainable, supersonic travel is evident in its mantra, which a company spokesperson shared with AIR International: “At Boom, our vision for the future is that the fastest flight will also become the least expensive. We start with this vision and work backwards to fulfil it.”

Aircraft designers have grappled with the challenge of achieving commercially viable supersonic airline services for decades, such are the engineering and economic hurdles. Add to these the new urgency for sustainability – the International Air Transport Association has determined commercial aviation will achieve netzero carbon emissions by 2050 – and now would seem the worst time of all to produce Concorde’s replacement.