The Boom Supersonic XB-1 has officially become the first privately-built aircraft to reach supersonic speeds. Nearly a year after its maiden flight, the XB-1 successfully flew at Mach 1.1 (1,360 km/h) on Wednesday in the Mojave Desert, United States. It is a small-scale test aircraft for the Boom Overture supersonic passenger aircraft (SST), which is expected to begin operations in 2029.
The Overture aims to be the first SST to return to service since Concorde ended operations in 2003 due to age and safety concerns. It can carry up to 80 passengers and fly at a maximum speed of Mach 1.7 (2,099 km/h), which would allow a trip from New York to London in just 3.5 hours. Current commercial aircraft make the same trip in around 8 hours.
The Overture project was announced in 2016 and has undergone several design changes. Despite this, Boom Supersonic, which developed Overture, managed to receive orders from United Airlines, Japan Airlines and American Airlines.