Analysis: What The Boom XB-1’s Supersonic Flight Authorization Means For Aviation

Summary Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 prototype aircraft has been authorized to fly faster than sound, paving the way for supersonic commercial flights.
The company aims for Boom Overture to run on sustainable fuel, offering quicker travel times and potentially lower ticket prices.
The Boom Overture is set to be the first supersonic aircraft to enter service with US airlines.
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 prototype aircraft has been granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1). As part of this Special Flight Authorization, the manufacturer has been authorized to conduct up to 20 test flights with the XB-1. As a technology demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1 will pave the way for the arrival of Boom Supersonic’s debut supersonic commercial aircraft, the Boom Overture.
Photo: Boom Supersonic
Boom Supersonic has already overcome many barriers to getting its plans off the ground since the concept was developed in 2014, including investments that will be relevant to the aviation industry as a whole and will assist with the development of new aircraft in the future, supersonic or not. In an interview with CNN, the CEO of Boom Supersonic, Blake Scholl, outlined some of the challenges faced by the manufacturer’s design team, saying as follows:
“I very much believe in the return of supersonic air travel, and ultimately to bring it to every passenger on every route. And that’s not something that takes place overnight. The hard part of building a supersonic jet is making something that’s so sleek, and so slippery, take off and land safely.”
Among the other hurdles already overcome is an expensive testing process. Unlike the costly physical wind tunnels that were used in the 1960s to test Concorde throughout its development stages, Boom Supersonic has been able to make use of digital wind tunnels, making the testing process significantly quicker and cheaper.
Photo: Boom Supersonic
With the aviation industry striving to achieve carbon net zero by 2050, critics have asked what place a supersonic aircraft may have in this, but Scholl has assured that the Boom Overture will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This will, in turn, support the wider move to SAF-powered flights across the entire industry.
Photo: Boom Supersonic
When it comes to the cost of supersonic travel, Boom Supersonic acknowledges that the hefty price tag for tickets on previous supersonic aircraft like Concorde was prohibitive to the vast majority. Scholl hopes that prices on the Boom Overture will initially be on par with business class tickets on conventional aircraft, while the longer-term goal is to bring them down to a level accessible to the masses.
Progress towards supersonic flight
XB-1 supersonic flights are on track for later this year. The aircraft completed its first flight in March 2024 at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. During the test flight, the aircraft met all of its objectives, including safely reaching an altitude of 7,120 ft (2,170 m) and speeds of up to 238 knots (273 mph). Boom Supersonic took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate the occasion:
The XB-1 is still some way off reaching the speed of Mach 1 (760 mph), but Scholl went on to say that a further 10-15 test flights will be conducted over the coming months, with the aircraft gradually working its way up to Mach 1.
Boom Overture set to carry its first passengers by the end of the decade
The manufacturer has stated that it is planning for the Boom Overture to carry its first passengers before the end of the decade, and currently, Boom Supersonic has taken 130 orders for its Overture aircraft from multiple airlines around the world, including major carriers such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines. Scholl went on to say that 2024 is going to be