Japan Airlines (JAL) and Boom Supersonic have entered a strategic partnership to make commercial supersonic travel a reality.
Boom Supersonic is developing a new-generation supersonic aircraft, which flies at Mach 2.2 and will strive to cut flight times in half. Through this agreement, JAL will provide its knowledge and experience as an airline to support Boom in developing the aircraft.
As part of the agreement, JAL has made a strategic investment of US$10m in Boom Supersonic, and is working with the company to refine the aircraft design and help devise what the passenger experience for supersonic travel would entail. JAL will additionally have the option to purchase up to 20 Boom aircraft through a pre-order arrangement.
Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, commented, “We’ve been working with Japan Airlines behind the scenes for over a year now. JAL’s passionate, visionary team offers decades of practical knowledge and wisdom on everything from the passenger experience to technical operations.
“We’re thrilled to be working with JAL to develop a reliable, easily maintained aircraft that will provide revolutionary speed to passengers. Our goal is to develop an airliner that will be a great addition to any international airline’s fleet.”
Yoshiharu Ueki, president of Japan Airlines, added, “We are very proud to be working with Boom on the advancement in the commercial aviation industry. Through this partnership, we hope to contribute to the future of supersonic travel with the intent of providing more time to our valued passengers, while emphasizing flight safety.”
