Now that things have calmed down post-Paris Air Show, we ask the following question: Has BOOM Supersonic addressed the skepticism displayed by the media?
A lot of shade had been thrown at the American planemaker because, before the Paris Air Show, they didn’t have supplier deals for its Overture program.
Without further ado, we will take a look at their time in Paris and whether moving forward, they will now be taken seriously by the media.
BOOM Supersonic’s Busy Set of Announcements at the Paris Air Show…
On the second day of proceedings at the Paris Air Show, BOOM Supersonic invited the press to a one-hour briefing in an auditorium in Le Bourget.
The CEO, Blake Scholl, made several announcements regarding the aircraft program, which included things from the fuselage, the wings, and even to its sustainability goals.
Scholl started off proceedings by highlighting the 130 orders & pre-orders made by customers such as United Airlines, American Airlines & Japan Airlines for the Overture program.
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Thereafter, Scholl of BOOM Supersonic went into the nitty gritty regarding the Aerostructure Team that has been assigned for Overture.
The first deal came with Aernnova, who has been selected as the wing supplier to the aircraft program:
“Overture will be an extraordinary opportunity to provide our expertise in the design and development of aerostructures for the first sustainable supersonic aircraft,” said Ricardo Chocarro, CEO of Aernnova.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Boom as its wing supplier and be part of the world-class network of suppliers supporting Overture’s production.”
The second was Leonardo, who have been selected as the primary engineering lead for fuselage structural components integration and is also the design and build partner for the fuselage sections.
“Leonardo has played an integral role in shaping the success and future of the aviation industry,” said Stefano Bortoli, Leonardo’s Aerostructures Division Managing Director.
“We will build on that tradition and believe in Boom’s continued, and impressive, progress toward bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to the skies.”
The final aerostructure announcement came from Aciturri, who will be the empennage supplier for the program:
“Overture is a generation-defining project,” said Alvaro Fernandez Baragaño, CEO of Aciturri.
“We are bringing decades of aerostructures and aeroengines expertise to the future of sustainable supersonic flight with Boom.”
After those particular announcements were made, Scholl moved on to sustainability, where he discussed the deal that was made with Dimensional Energy & Air Company to receive 10 million gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel per year. This deal was made back in May.
“Boom and Dimensional Energy share a vision for the future of sustainable aviation,” said Jason Salfi, CEO and co-founder of Dimensional Energy, back in May.
“Overture has the potential to completely transform how we experience the world, and we are excited to play a critical role in its net zero flight test program and beyond.”
With all of this tied up, Scholl then brought things to an end by going over where BOOM Supersonic currently is in terms of the Overture program.
He noted that the manufacturer is still on time to achieve type certification by 2029.
As it stands, production of the Overture aircraft is expected to take place in 2025, with a supply chain launch coming next year.
This means that by 2027, the first flight would have been completed, and testing of the aircraft can begin ahead of supersonic travel returning in 2029-30.
Has This Addressed Skepticism from the Media?
With all of these announcements made, has this addressed skepticism from the media, who have been critical of BOOM Supersonic, saying that this will not become a reality?
So far, yes. The announcements made at the Paris Air Show have been vital in bringing the project further to life.
Some may say “wait and see” ahead of the Supply Chain announcements due to take place next year, as that will be the next test in the reality of this program.
But for now, they definitely seemed to have made a strong start in winning over the media in the realism of this aircraft type.
Overall…
What remains clear is that things are getting very exciting indeed for BOOM Supersonic, as they remain on track to achieve certification of the Overture program by 2029.
The return to supersonic travel is going to be one that revolutionizes the industry at the start of the next decade, as this mode of transportation will be taking over the Concorde program.
With us now in a digital and microchip era, it’s going to be very fascinating to see where the Overture program is going to take air travel, as once again, all four corners of the globe will be accessible in record time again.
