United Airlines sees a supersonic future

United Airlines hopes to bring back supersonic travel before the end of this decade

United Airlines aims to bring back supersonic travel before the decade is over with a plane that is currently just an artist's drawing — even the prototype hasn't flown yet. The airline said Thursday that it plans to buy 15 jets from Boom Supersonic with an option for 35 more once the start-up company designs a plane that flies faster than the speed of sound while meeting safety and environmental standards. United hopes to carry passengers on the plane in 2029. The airline said the plane will reduce flights between London and the New York area to just 3 1/2 hours and make Tokyo only six hours from San Francisco. United declined to discuss financial terms, but Boom CEO Blake Scholl said the deal was worth $3 billion, or $200 million per plane with none of the discounting that is typical in the aircraft business.