Boom Supersonic CEO Briefed Congress on Sustainable Supersonic Future

by | May 18, 2021 | Innovation

Boom Supersonic’s CEO, Blake Scholl, testified before the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Aviation at a hearing entitled “The Leading Edge: Innovation in U.S. Aerospace.” Scholl’s testimony before the Subcommittee on Aviation occurred at the end of April.

With recent advances in the U.S. Aviation and National Airspace System, the Subcommittee met to hear testimony from industry leaders, including emerging airspace entrants. As the only supersonic aircraft manufacturer in the meeting, Boom said it will further inform the Congressional panel on their company’s efforts to reintroduce safe and sustainable supersonic travel.

“Supersonic flight will unlock new possibilities for human connection and for business, but this is only possible thanks to the leadership of Congress and the federal government to support emerging aviation technology,” Blake Scholl, Boom Supersonic Founder & CEO said. “I’m deeply honored to address the House Subcommittee on Aviation to shed light on these technologies and ask Congress to continue to support this important work. The reintroduction of supersonic flight, along with the integration of other new kinds of aircraft, will ensure continued job growth in this important sector and help ensure the U.S. maintains its global leadership in innovation and the future of transportation.”

The testimony highlighted the importance of regulatory certainty, which will enable Boom to bring Overture, its flagship commercial airliner, to market. Boom applauds the FAA’s efforts to provide a safety-minded foundation for the introduction of emerging aviation technology—including new-generation supersonic aircraft—to support transformational innovation in transportation.

Boom says they are “designing Overture to facilitate net-zero carbon flight, and the aircraft will be optimized to fly on 100% sustainable alternative fuels (SAF).” They believe policy incentives will play a critical role in accelerating production and adoption of SAF, which is a key contributor to the sustainability of long-haul aviation. Boom supports measures such as blender tax credits to accelerate production of SAF, and the company is working with a broad coalition of fuel producers, operators, airports, and manufacturers to advance this key policy.

Overture will be designed and assembled in the United States. Boom plans to announce the location for its Overture manufacturing facility later this year, breaking ground on the factory in 2022. Boom is scheduled to start Overture production in 2023 and plans to roll out the first complete aircraft in 2025. Flight testing and certification efforts are scheduled to begin in 2026, with the goal of flying passengers by 2029.

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