Aircraft
Supersonic Bizjet Launch Inches Closer, Says Analyst
Supersonic business jets are "still moving at the very subsonic speed of technology, regulation and money,” though.
Aviation analyst Brian Foley is optimistic that a formal launch of a supersonic business jet is coming closer. Aerion Corp. has been developing key technologies for its AS2 design for more than a decade. (Photo: Aerion Corp.)
Aviation analyst Brian Foley is optimistic that a formal launch of a supersonic business jet is coming closer. Aerion Corp. has been developing key technologies for its AS2 design for more than a decade. (Photo: Aerion Corp.)

“We’re much closer to a supersonic business jet (SSBJ) being formally launched” as costs and persistent risks related to regulatory, engines, and sonic boom noise are “progressively mitigated,” according to aviation analyst Brian Foley. “The final impetus will be from the realization that to command this relatively small but high-value market requires being early to capture finite sales.”