PREVIEW

Commercial aircraft will soon be ready to break the sound barrier again as Boom Supersonic’s demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1, has made its first supersonic flight.
The XB-1 achieved the milestone on 28 January 2025 at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California.

This marks the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet and the first civil supersonic jet built in the United States.
Flown by Boom’s Chief Test Pilot, Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, XB-1 entered the supersonic corridor, reaching an altitude of 35,290 feet before accelerating to Mach 1.122 (750 mph), breaking the sound barrier for the first time.

Historically, supersonic aircraft have been developed by nation-states, with military and government backing. XB-1’s achievement signals a breakthrough in private sector aerospace innovation. The firm hope the XB-1’s technology can be scaled up to create Overture, a new supersonic airliner that will pick up where the now defunct Concorde left off.

“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,” said Boom’s founder and CEO, Blake Scholl. “A small team of talented and dedicated engineers has achieved what previously required government funding and billions of dollars. Next, we are scaling up XB-1’s technology for Overture, our supersonic airliner. Our ultimate goal is to make supersonic flight accessible to all.”

XB-1 is the first supersonic jet built from airliner technology and incorporates key features found in Overture, such as carbon fibre composites, digital stability augmentation, and an augmented reality vision system to improve landing visibility.
Following its maiden flight in March 2024, XB-1 underwent 11 piloted test flights under increasingly challenging conditions to evaluate systems and aerodynamics. Throughout the test campaign, the team expanded the aircraft’s flight envelope from subsonic to transonic and finally supersonic speeds, ensuring safety remained the top priority.

“It has been a privilege to be part of the team that achieved this milestone—every single member was critical to our success,” said Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg, Boom’s Chief Test Pilot. “Our disciplined and methodical approach to flight testing created the safety culture that made this first supersonic flight possible. With the lessons learned from XB-1, we can now focus on advancing supersonic travel.”

XB-1’s supersonic flight occurred in the same historic airspace where Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in 1947. This achievement also marks the first human-piloted civil supersonic flight since Concorde’s retirement over 20 years ago, reigniting hopes for the return of commercial supersonic travel.

Overture is designed to carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7—approximately twice the speed of today’s subsonic airliners—on over 600 global routes.

“I’ve waited over 20 years for the return of supersonic speeds, and XB-1’s flight is a historic milestone,” said Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways. “When I last flew Concorde in 2003, I knew this day would come. Boom is well on its way to making sustainable supersonic flight a reality with Overture—my top choice as Concorde’s successor. Congratulations to Blake Scholl, the Boom team, and pilot Tristan ‘Geppetto’ Brandenburg. Having been Concorde’s Chief Pilot, I envy his role in this exciting return to supersonic travel.”

Boom has secured 130 orders and pre-orders for Overture from airlines including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. In 2024, the company completed construction of the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is set to produce up to 66 Overture aircraft per year. Designed with speed, safety, and sustainability in mind, Overture and its Symphony propulsion system are capable of running on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

“Congratulations to Boom Supersonic on this groundbreaking achievement,” said Jim Currier, President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “For generations, Honeywell has supported aircraft programmes that shape the future of aviation. We’re proud that our Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck will help bring Overture to life, reducing pilot workload and enhancing safety.”