The aviation industry is experiencing a moment of renewal. Major manufacturers are building aircraft that promise to shorten distances at unprecedented levels, ranging from supersonic to supersonic. The ambition is bold: to enable cross-continental travel within a few hours – or even minutes – and usher in a new standard of global mobility.
Between advanced concepts, test models and Concorde memories, the industry is trying to strike a balance between innovation, safety and feasibility.
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Among the most advanced projects is the X-59 project, developed by NASA in partnership with Lockheed Martin. The plane, which has been designed to dramatically reduce the effect of sonic booms – the noise produced when the sound barrier is broken – made its first test flight at the end of October.
The supersonic plane, which can reach speeds of 1,488 km/h, is built with an elongated shape that distributes the shock wave and reduces the noise felt on the ground to about 75 decibels, compared to closing a car door. For NASA, data collected on flights over communities will be crucial to convincing regulators to ease restrictions that currently prevent commercial supersonic flights over populated areas.
Discover supersonic planes that promise super-fast travel
From experimental projects to modern commercial aircraft, the industry is betting on planes capable of crossing continents in minutes – while trying to avoid Concorde mistakes.
In addition, Lockheed Martin is also betting on the SR-72, the spiritual successor to the legendary Blackbird. The plane seeks to operate at supersonic speeds, reaching Mach 6.
Although the project is still shrouded in secrecy, it is described as a military reconnaissance platform capable of flying at five to six times the speed of sound. However, this model is not intended for commercial use and is expected to debut in the 2030s.
On the civilian side, the A-HyM Hypersonic Air Master is trying to imagine what it would be like to transport passengers at Mach 7.3 – about 9,000 km/h.
Designed to reduce flight times between London and New York to 45 minutes, the plane is still just an idea by designer Oscar Viñales, who envisions a hydrogen-powered titanium and carbon fiber fuselage with seating for 170 passengers. However, none of this got off the ground.
The supersonic future inevitably collides with the past. An icon of aviation, the Concorde flew commercially from 1976 to 2003 and became a symbol of luxury and speed. But it has accumulated its disadvantages: high maintenance, small passenger space, high costs and technological lag already in the 2000s.
The sector’s decline was further accelerated by two high-profile events: the crash of an Air France Concorde in Paris in 2000, which killed 113 people, and the sector’s contraction after the attacks of September 11, 2001. With falling demand and rising operating costs, British Airways and Air France retired this model after nearly 50,000 flights.
The new generation is trying to learn from these mistakes – both in terms of noise and efficiency – and is seeking commercial viability where Concorde has failed.
One of the promising projects is the Boom Supersonic XB-1, nicknamed the “Son of Concorde”. The prototype, the first civilian supersonic aircraft developed in the USA, has already been photographed by NASA breaking the sound barrier without causing an audible boom.
The commercial version, called Prologue, should reach Mach 1.7 and is already collecting orders from airlines. Boom estimates there are more than 600 potential global routes for the model, which will fly at more than twice the speed of a Boeing 747.
Meanwhile, Venus Aerospace is betting on the Stargazer M4, a reusable hypersonic jet with a range of 5,000 miles. The company promises a conventional take-off and climb to an altitude of 110,000 feet and a top speed of Mach 9 – roughly 11,000 km/h.
Using engines powered by NASA-funded technology, the model seeks to make global transportation possible in about two hours. The company claims that the propulsion system has already proven more efficient than conventional technologies.
Despite the doubts, one point is clear: flying is a big dream again. Between military proposals and commercial ambitions, the sector is approaching a scenario in which crossing oceans in minutes may not seem like science fiction.
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