FutureFlight
American Airlines Places Deposit On Supersonic Airliner Order
The planned Overture supersonic airliner is expected to carry between 65 and 85 passengers on flights of up to 4,250 nm and at speeds of up to Mach 1.7.
Boom is developing a supersonic airliner called Overture that it says will fly up to 85 people at speeds of Mach 1.7.
Boom says its Overture supersonic airliner will be able to carry between 65 and 85 passengers at speeds of up to Mach 1.7 when flying over oceans. (Image: Boom)

American Airlines this week placed a non-refundable deposit as part of an agreement to buy up to 20 Boom Supersonic Overture aircraft. The deal, announced on August 16, includes options on another 40 of the planned supersonic transports, designed to carry between 65 and 85 passengers  to a range of 4,250 nm. The sides did not reveal the dollar amount of the down payment.

During July’s Farnborough Airshow, Boom revealed the final production design of the Overture, including a new propulsion system based on four engines rather than two and a revised fuselage shape that features a larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear. However, the start-up has yet to reach an agreement with an engine manufacturer willing to commit to the investment required to develop a new powerplant for the aircraft. It has previously said that it would power a planned XB1 technology demonstrator with three of General Electric's JB-85 15 turbofans.