RALEIGH, N.C. (Washington Insider Magazine) – A Colorado-based aviation business said on Wednesday that it will manufacture next-generation supersonic passenger jets at a North Carolina airport. If the investment is successful, it might result in the creation of more than 2,000 job positions in the entire region throughout the next decade, as well as significant reductions in flight times for a post-Concorde population of airline passengers.
Boom Supersonic has stated that their intended Overture supersonic aircraft will be built at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, with the final assembly line, testing, and delivery center located there. Boom expects to produce more than 1,750 employment by 2030, with an aim of more than 2,400 by 2032.
State and municipal governments have contributed $230 million in economic benefits to make the idea a reality, according to ABC News, even including money for airport enhancements passed by the legislature in November and other sweeteners granted Wednesday.
Some of the incentives flowing to Boom Technology Inc., the company’s parent, will be rescinded if it doesn’t fulfill job-creation and investment goals, as with other similar ventures. A $500 million capital investment is expected.
The Overture plane is meant to accommodate 65 to 88 passengers, use sustainable aviation fuel, and fly at 1,300 mph (2,090 kph) — faster than the speed of today’s passenger planes — at 60,000 feet (18,290 meters). However, several technological and production challenges need to be addressed before the aircraft can be considered a viable choice for airlines.
The company announced in a news release on Wednesday that production at the new facility will commence in 2024, with the initial Overture planes rolling out in 2025, flying in 2026, and carrying passengers by 2029.
Boom is one of several businesses attempting to resurrect supersonic passenger transport, which died over two decades ago when the Concorde was grounded. Boom has created a one-third-scale demonstrator plane known as the XB1, but it now confronts the formidable task of bulking it up.
Boom claims to have received “pre-orders” from a number of potential buyers. Last year, United Airlines struck a deal to acquire Fifteen versions of the Overture as well as accept options on another 35. United, on the other hand, stated that any orders are contingent on Boom fulfilling specific financial and operational criteria, which it did not elaborate on.
Skeptics argue that if supersonic passenger flight were truly possible, Boeing and Airbus would build the planes rather than just allowing startups like Boom to dominate the market.
