United Airlines wants to bring back supersonic travel with 15 jet deal

United Airlines said Thursday it will spend $3 billion to buy 15 supersonic, zero-emissions jetliners from aviation startup Boom Supersonic.

The jet maker says its “Overture” model jets will fly at double the speed of today’s fastest airliners, carrying up to 88 travelers each from New York to London in 3.5 hours and San Francisco to Tokyo in six hours. The planes will exclusively use jet fuel created from organic matter, making them the world’s first large commercial aircraft with net-zero carbon emissions. The Overture would be the first commercial faster-than-sound jet to take flight since the Concorde flew from the 1970s until 2003. Concordes were retired amid declining demand for air travel after 9/11, as well as passenger complaints about noise, lack of cabin space and pricey tickets.