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A start-up is developing a successor to the legendary Concorde aircraft, but it is unlikely to succeed due to environmental concerns

     
Lenka Nováková
28. 1. 2025 ▪ 19:32

The American start-up Boom has managed to surpass the speed of sound with its aircraft model XB-1, nicknamed "Baby Boom". The company aims to create a full-fledged successor to the legendary Concorde aircraft. However, given the current environmental conditions, the project is unlikely to be successful.

Testovací model nadzvukového letadla Boom XB-1
Test model of the supersonic aircraft Boom XB-1
Photo: Boom

The significant achievement in the development of a new aircraft was accomplished by the American startup Boom. Its test aircraft, designated as XB-1, managed to break the sound barrier and fly faster than sound. Aviation experts compare its development to efforts to create a successor to the legendary Concorde aircraft. However, the company's prospects for introducing a similar plane into commercial service are bleak nowadays.

About 35 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft, which took off from California, managed to exceed the speed of sound Mach 1 and reach 1,235 kilometers per hour. The company broadcasted the flight of its novelty, which was supposed to start test flights almost seven years ago, on its channel on YouTube.

According to the company, the Concorde successor, which should be developed under the name Overture, is expected to offer record travel speeds on regular routes, especially on transatlantic flights. The aircraft should cross the Atlantic Ocean in just three and a half hours, significantly speeding up passenger transportation between Europe and America.

As previously reported by the German site Spiegel, the company has long faced development problems with its test model, which it calls Baby Boom. Even if the company manages to overcome all the technical issues, the economic aspect of operation will be a major challenge for it – a supersonic aircraft is not only expensive to develop but also costly to operate due to significantly higher fuel consumption.

The fuel consumption could ultimately be the nail in the coffin of the project, which the company describes as “a day late and a dollar short”. The era of supersonic flying, at a time when EU countries and other world powers are significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is likely over. Therefore, to operate a supersonic aircraft intended for regular air travel with passengers, it would be necessary to find a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operation, and unfortunately, current technology has no clear solution for this.

The XB-1 test model could thus remain just a “toy” for enthusiasts trying to introduce a novelty for which there is no longer a market interest.



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The original article was published in Czech under the title: Start-up vyvíjí nástupce legendárního letounu Concorde, kvůli ekologii ale pravděpodobně neuspěje