Supersonic flights could soon cut journey to US to under four hours

It’s been over 20 years since the Concorde was grounded, but a new supersonic plane may soon be jetting off.
 
A company is currently working on a new plane that could travel from New York to London in just 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Boom Supersonic has revealed that by 2029, passengers could once again enjoy supersonic journeys.

In June 2025, the United States passed legislation that lifted the decades-old ban on supersonic travel over land.

This would bring about flight times far shorter than those offered by current commercial airlines.

The new plane, named the Overture by Boom Supersonic, is already in testing.

 According to Boom, the plane will have a minimum of 600 routes.

United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines reportedly already have orders and pre‑orders of Overture to fly within their fleets.

The plane could hold around 60 to 80 passengers and would cruise much higher than usual passenger jets at 60,000 feet.

Nicholas Smith, Holidays Digital Director at Thomas Cook and eSky online travel agency, said: "While it’s thrilling to imagine this aviation icon back in the skies, it’s unlikely to appeal to the average holidaymaker from the UK jetting off to Benidorm for a week in the sun.

"We see the future of mainstream air travel heading towards larger, more efficient aircraft designed to carry more people, not fewer.

"That said, a modern relaunch focused on sustainability, digital innovation, and safety could carve out a niche for high-end, short-haul luxury routes – such as London to New York in under four hours.

"It’s not a mass-market solution, but for time-sensitive premium travellers, it could once again become the pinnacle of prestige flying."

It will be left up in the air whether this new plane will face the same challenges that led to the Concorde being grounded.

The supersonic aircraft was noisy and extremely expensive to operate, which restricted flight availability.

The operating costs required fare pricing that was prohibitively high for many consumers, and the resulting financial losses led both British Airways and Air France to make New York City their only regular flight destination.

Finally, in 2000, an Air France Concorde’s engine failure and subsequent crash killed all 109 people on board and four people on the ground.

Many believe this event accelerated the retirement of the Concorde in 2003.   

* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.