BusinessSupersonic passenger jetsBoom timeA flock of startups wants to break the sound barrierFor 27 years Concorde epitomised jet-setting glamour.Yet its elegant delta wings came with the ear-splitting noise of thirsty military-derived engines;champagne was served in a cramped cabin with small seats;and cruising at twice the speed of sound,which just about halved the time for an Atlantic crossing, cost twice the regular business-class fare.Devotees shed a tear after its farewell flight in 2003, following a fatal crash in 2000 and the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001.Most business travellers shrugged.“Picking up where Concorde left off” is how Blake Scholl, chief executive of Boom Supersonic, describes Overture 1, the jet which the American startup is developing.It will propel up to 88 passengers 1.7 times as fast as sound while avoiding Concorde’s drawbacks.This appeals to United Airlines. On June 3rd it agreed to buy 15 planes, with an option for 35 more.JAL and Virgin Atlantic have options to acquire 30 between them.
