United plans to bring back supersonic air travel

United Airlines said it wants to bring back commercial supersonic air travel, which would mark a first since British Airways retired its Concorde service in 2003. United on Thursday said it has an agreement to purchase 15 supersonic aircraft from startup Boom Supersonic. 

Boom, a Denver-based startup, said its Overture supersonic aircraft will be capable of flying between New York and London in 3 hours and 30 minutes, shaving three hours from the typical flight time. United has an option to buy an additional 35 aircraft from Boom, which has raised $240 million in venture capital to develop its plane,  United said the supersonic aircraft is expected to carry passengers by 2029. The Overture plane will be designed to run entirely on sustainable fuel and produce "net-zero" carbon emissions, according to the companies.