Summary Boom Supersonic seeks to revolutionize aviation with the Overture aircraft, which is receiving support from major airlines. Airlines eligible for the Overture must offer overwater routes and have demand that merits premium fares. British Airways, Air France, Hawaiian Airlines, Air Canada, and ANA are potential fits for the Overture.
Boom Supersonic hopes to change the aviation world by introducing its supersonic Overture aircraft. While many had long believed supersonic flights to be a relic of the past, this could all be about to change if the Overture can enter service with airlines across the globe profitably. In recent years, the manufacturer has found partners that could prove critical, with American Airlines and United Airlines placing orders for the plane.
Furthermore, Japan Airlines, a major jet investor, will likely prove a reliable supporter. But what other carriers could the Overture be a perfect fit for? This question is less straightforward than choosing the world's largest airlines, as heavy restrictions impact supersonic flight. First, flights must be primarily (if not entirely) over water, which will eliminate airlines with a majority of overland flights.
Second, the aircraft's range is only 4,250 nautical miles, eliminating many long-haul transoceanic routes. Lastly, the aircraft will not be cheap to operate, and fares will certainly not be affordable. This will presumably eliminate any budget airlines from consideration.
With all the above factors, let's look at five carriers where the plane could find a fitting home. 1 British Airways Target market: London to the North American east coast Potential routes: London Heathrow (LHR) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) London (LHR) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) London (LHR) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) London (LHR) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) It's difficult to discuss the potential return of supersonic aviation without first considering the carriers that started it all with Concorde.
First, British Airways is a strong candidate for the new Overture for multiple reasons. British Airways primarily has a strong network of overwater flights between London and the US East Coast's key business hubs. These routes satisfy all the aircraft's requirements and maintain the appropriate level of business travel demand required to operate profitably.
During Concorde's lifetime, British Airways turned an annual profit of between $37 million and $61 million . 2 Air France Target Market: London to the North American east coast Potential routes: Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Paris (CDG) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) Paris (CDG) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) Paris (CDG) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Regarding carriers that operated Concorde, Air France is also a strong candidate for operating the new aircraft.
Overtures could easily fly most of the French flag carrier's transatlantic routes between Paris and, similarly, key cities along the American East Coast. During its original period of operation, Air France profitably operated the Concorde, turning an $8.8 million profit in 1984, which would only grow.
Now, with the lower cost of operating Boom's jet and with the support of business travelers crossing the Atlantic, Air France could also prove a strong potential customer for the Overture. Air France has increased the number of flights to the USA in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 3 Hawaiian Airlines Target market: Honolulu to East Asia and the US Pacific Coast Potential routes: Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Honolulu (HNL) to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) Honolulu (HNL) to Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) There are many immediate reasons that one might argue why Hawaii's flag carrier would prove ideal for the Overture.
First and foremost, with Hawaii being an island in the center of the Pacific, all routes to and from the islands would abide by the restrictions imposed on overture flights. Second, the premium demand for the Hawaiian Islands is difficult to understate. For one example, Japanese flag carrier ANA took on the challenge of flying the Airbus A380 to Honolulu specifically to capture this valuable market segment.
Most international flights to Hawaii are operated by airlines based in Asia-Pacific. 4 Air Canada Target market: Canadian east coast to Europe Potential routes: Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) Montreal (YUL) to Paris (CDG) With a strong presence in both London and Paris, Canadian flag carrier Air Canada could be poised to succeed in operating transatlantic flights using Boom's supersonic aircraft. While the Canadian hubs of Montreal and Toronto are located inland, their locations are unlikely to greatly reduce operational efficiency.
Furthermore, business traffic between London, Toronto, and Montreal remains quite strong. While Paris is also a major hub for corporate travelers, the city is, of course, culturally tied to Canada's Quebec region. They are among the world's highest-capacity 777s.
5 All Nippon Airways (ANA) Target market: The Pacific routes Potential routes: Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT) to Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL) Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) As Japan Airlines, ANA's main competitor, has already demonstrated a strong interest in the Boom Overture, it wouldn't be surprising if this Japanese airline did as well. One might be surprised, however, at why the proposed routes above do not include any connections to the American West Coast. As per the latest range statistics from Boom, routes between, say, Tokyo and Los Angeles, would immediately exceed the aircraft's range.
However, the carrier has any number of Asian overwater routes that it could certainly fill seats on due to high business travel demand. Furthermore, the airline could elevate the premium nature of its service even further to Hawaii with supersonic flights. The airline roared back to life once all travel restrictions were lifted in Northeast Asia.
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