United Airlines CEO doubts Overture will be ready in 2029 — Ars Technica
In the United States, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expressed doubt that Boom Supersonic will be able to deliver its first Overture supersonic passenger aircraft in 2029. In an interview with the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast, he noted that Boom’s official schedule calls for 2029, but in his assessment, the project will take longer to complete.
As Ars Technica reports, Kirby stressed that the company still has many obstacles to overcome in developing Overture and obtaining certification for the aircraft from the US Federal Aviation Administration. In March, he assessed the chances of Overture entering commercial service as 50-50.
Conditional agreements with airlines
Boom previously said it intended to certify the aircraft and begin carrying paying passengers in 2029. The company has conditional agreements with American Airlines, Japan Airlines, and United Airlines. They provide for non-refundable deposits, the amounts of which have not been disclosed, as well as the option for carriers to purchase aircraft after they become commercially ready.
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Boom’s Overture production plant at Piedmont Triad Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, was completed in 2024. According to the publication, the facility has been mostly idle since then. State authorities provided more than $50 million in taxpayer funds for the plant’s construction.
Gas turbines for data centers
At the same time, Boom is developing production of gas turbines for artificial intelligence data centers. On October 22, the company unveiled a plant in Centennial, Colorado, for producing 42-megawatt Superpower turbines. The facility is still under construction but, according to Boom, is already manufacturing parts. The company plans to begin delivering turbines to customers in mid-2027 and increase production to 25 units per year in 2028 and 50 in 2029.
Meanwhile, Boom CEO Blake Scholl reported in September that the company had lost a $1.25 billion deal: data center developer Crusoe was to purchase 29 of the company’s gas turbines. Boom says its Sprint Core turbine-core prototype will eventually be used for both the Superpower turbine and the Symphony engine for the Overture supersonic airliner.
