Australian Aviation — January 2018

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018 37

Concorde on Air France and British
Airways, Boom is designing the
aircraft with operating costs such that
fares would be similar to what is in
the market for business class travel
currently, such as $5,500 for a return
New York-London ticket.
Boom chief executive Blake Scholl
says Australia looms as a prime
market for supersonic flight.
“I feel like Australia is probably the
corner of the earth that would benefit
most from supersonic,” Scholl tells
Australian Aviation in an interview
on a recent visit to Sydney.
“I talk to my friends and say ‘hey

do you want to go to Sydney’ and

they say it is 15 hours. And London

to Sydney is a whole freaking day. It’s

exhausting.

“A lot of people talk about

supersonic as about time saving. Yes,

you save time but I think the bigger

factor is it affects your decision on

whether you go or not.”

Scholl says supersonic flight

will turn the Pacific “into the new

Atlantic”.

“And that will just enable a whole

lot of trips to be taken that otherwise

people wouldn’t take today,” Scholl

says.

Virgin Group, Japan Airlines back Boom

Boom has sold 76 options for its

proposed supersonic aircraft. While

46 are from unidentified customers,

two companies have been prepared to

publicly back the project.

Virgin Group, a part owner of

Virgin Atlantic, was first off the mark

with options for 10 aircraft.

And in early December, Japan

Airlines (JAL) announced it would

invest US$10 million in Boom and

hold options to purchase up to 20

supersonic aircraft.

Further, there would also be

collaboration between the pair to

Boom Supersonic

Will Boom create shockwaves in

the airline industry? BOOM