Supersonic airliner in doubt as company shifts to powering AI data centers
Summary
Boom Supersonic is developing natural-gas turbines for AI data centers while continuing work on its Overture supersonic airliner. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he does not expect the aircraft to meet Boom’s stated 2029 delivery timeline and warned that certification and development still pose major hurdles.Key Facts
- Boom unveiled a Colorado factory on October 22 to produce Superpower, a 42-megawatt natural-gas turbine for data centers.
- Boom says its Sprint Core turbine design is intended to power both data-center turbines and the company’s supersonic airliner engine.
- Kirby said Overture would take longer than 2029 to arrive and said its development and FAA certification involve hurdles that Boom may not overcome.
- United, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines have conditional agreements involving deposits for Overture aircraft; the deposit amounts are unknown.
- Boom completed its Overture factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina in 2024, but the facility has mostly sat idle.
- North Carolina state leaders provided more than $50 million in taxpayer funding to help build the Overture factory.
- In June 2026, the FAA proposed ending its long-standing ban on commercial supersonic flights over the United States, following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
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