United Airlines has announced a deal to buy 15 ultrafast planes from Boom Supersonic as part of plans to bring back supersonic commercial travel.
British Airways retired its Concorde service in 2003.
Boom, a Denver-based company, said its Overture supersonic jets can fly between London and New York in three hours and 30 minutes, reducing three hours from the normal flight time.
United said it has an option to buy an additional 35 jets from Boom, which has secured $240 million in venture capital to develop its fleet of supersonic aircraft, CBS News said.
Overture is capable of flying at Mach 1.7, or roughly twice as fast as today's passenger jets. It is scheduled to be completed by 2025, start test flights the following year and carry passengers by 2029.
"United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today's advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes," CNN quoted United chief executive Scott Kirby as saying.
A United executive said the airline put down a deposit, which he termed "an unusual show of faith" in an aircraft that will not hit the skies for several years, but would not discuss further details.
The push into supersonic flight comes as United and other airlines look for ways to bounce back from the ill effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which dealt a heavy blow to global travel more than a year ago.
Meanwhile, experts expressed doubts that there'll ever be a way for supersonic passenger flights to make economic sense for airline companies.
"You need to find enough full-fare premium passengers to justify the aircraft. Good luck with that," Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with the Teal Group, said.
Supersonic jets are often prohibited from flying over populated areas because of the sonic booms they make.
The Concorde, once a byword for luxurious and sophisticated air travel, was retired 18 years ago in the wake of falling revenue and higher maintenance costs.
