January 28, 2025, became a historic day for aviation as it marked the moment when Boom Supersonic, an American company specializing in high-speed aviation, achieved an unprecedented milestone: its experimental prototype, the XB-1, broke the sound barrier for the first time. The flight, conducted in Mojave, California, not only represents a technical breakthrough but also symbolizes a decisive step toward the return of commercial supersonic travel, an era that seemed to have ended with the Concorde’s retirement in 2003.
Boom Supersonic, founded with the ambitious vision of revolutionizing air travel, is developing what promises to be the world’s fastest commercial aircraft: the Overture. This model not only promises to restore supersonic passenger flights but also aims to push the boundaries of speed and sustainability in aviation, paving the way for the future of air travel.
The XB-1 test aircraft, known as “Baby Boom,” is the first independently developed plane to break the sound barrier. The January 28, 2025, flight not only marks a technical achievement but also symbolizes a return to the same airspace where the iconic pilot Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947. The aircraft, piloted by Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, Boom’s chief test pilot, reached a speed of Mach 1.1, equivalent to approximately 1,358 km/h — 10% faster than the speed of sound. This speed was reached just 12 minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of 35,000 feet, marking an important milestone for the company and the aviation industry as a whole.
Prior to this historic flight, the XB-1 had already achieved Mach 0.95, just below the supersonic threshold, during a test flight on January 10, 2025. Each successful test flight has been a crucial step in the development of the aircraft, providing valuable data that will refine and enhance the design of the future commercial model, the Overture.
While the XB-1 is an impressive aircraft, it is merely the precursor to a bolder project: the Overture, the supersonic plane designed by Boom to carry passengers. Expected to enter service by the end of the 2020s, the Overture will be capable of flying at Mach 1.7, roughly twice the speed of current subsonic commercial planes. The Overture will have a capacity to carry between 64 and 80 passengers and promises to significantly reduce travel time between international destinations, allowing, for example, a flight from New York to London to be completed in less than four hours — half the time required for conventional flights.
Boom Supersonic expects the aircraft to operate on over 600 routes worldwide, connecting major global cities with fast and efficient flights. The potential impact of this technology on the aviation industry is enormous, with the Overture designed to replace conventional planes on some routes, making travel faster and more accessible while optimizing airline operating costs.
To date, Boom has received more than 130 orders and pre-orders for the Overture from aviation giants like American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. This not only validates market interest in the return of supersonic flights but also reflects confidence in the commercial viability of the Overture as a faster and more modern alternative to traditional aircraft.
Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, has a clear vision for the future of aviation. He believes that the supersonic flight revolution is not just a possibility but an inevitability. In a 2024 interview with CNN, Scholl said, “I strongly believe in the return of supersonic air travel and, ultimately, bringing it to all passengers on all routes. This doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s what we’re building.” For Scholl, the key to Boom’s innovation is not just speed but accessibility. He envisions a future where anyone can fly anywhere in the world in record time for prices that approach the cost of conventional airfares.
In 2021, Scholl stated that his dream was for people to be able to fly anywhere in the world in four hours for just $100. Although this goal is still distant, the company’s steady progress toward this objective is clear, with the Overture being the centerpiece of this transformation. Scholl sees supersonic planes not only as a way to speed up international travel but also as a means of increasing operational efficiency in the aviation industry, enabling planes to make more flights with the same crew and infrastructure.
The Overture will not only be faster but also more environmentally efficient. Boom is investing heavily in sustainable technologies, and the Overture will be powered by conventional jet engines but with the ability to operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). While SAF still faces challenges related to its production and high costs, Scholl is optimistic that, over time, sustainable fuel will become the standard for long-haul flights.
The company has also adopted a more modern approach to aircraft design. Unlike the Concorde, which was developed in physical wind tunnels, Boom uses computational fluid dynamics, or “digital wind tunnels,” to test and improve the Overture’s aerodynamic design. This allows for hundreds of simulations overnight at a much lower cost than a real-world test, making the innovation process more agile and accessible.
Additionally, Boom has incorporated more modern materials, such as carbon fiber composites, into the design of the XB-1 and Overture. These materials are lighter and stronger than those used in traditional aircraft, enabling superior performance and greater fuel efficiency.
Mass production of the Overture is already underway. Boom Supersonic has completed the construction of its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, a facility designed to manufacture 66 Overture aircraft per year. The factory is designed with the capacity to quickly scale production to meet the growing demand for supersonic flights, positioning Boom to become one of the key players in the global aviation market.
With the construction of the Superfactory, Boom is poised to move into large-scale production, aiming for aircraft deliveries in the mid-2030s. The implementation of this new production infrastructure is essential to ensure that the company can meet its plans to operate the Overture on commercial routes worldwide.
The impact of Boom Supersonic goes beyond improving the flight experience. The return of supersonic aircraft could signify a transformation in the aviation industry, both in terms of speed and efficiency as well as sustainability. By driving innovation and challenging the limits of current technology, Boom is contributing to a new era in aviation, where speed and efficiency will redefine how we connect globally.
With the success of the test flight and the promises of the Overture, the dream of accessible and efficient supersonic aviation is closer than ever. While challenges remain, such as the development of sustainable fuel and large-scale implementation, Boom Supersonic is leading the way toward a future where the sky will no longer be the limit, but the starting point for new possibilities in air transport.
