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First in Supersonic

 

Boom selects PTI for first US supersonic airliner factory

Boom Supersonic has selected Piedmont Triad International Airport (airport code GSO) as the location where it will manufacture its supersonic passenger airliner.
You can learn more about the airport project below. You can learn more about Boom Supersonic at BoomSupersonic.com.

Overture Superfactory at PTI

  • Boom Supersonic has chosen to manufacture its groundbreaking supersonic passenger aircraft, named Overture, at PTI. Overture will be capable of flying passengers twice as fast as today’s subsonic airplanes. For example, passengers can fly on Overture from New York to London in less than four hours.
  • Production of the supersonic aircraft will take place in a new production facility to be constructed on a 65-acre site at PTI.
  • The initial 188,000 square foot production facility will be located on the south side of I-73 adjacent to Runway 23R with construction to begin in 2023. Completion of the hangar and production of Overture aircraft is expected to begin in 2024.
  • Boom plans to add a second production facility as production ramps up and more production lines are needed.

Employment and Investment

  • The company expects to employ 1,761 workers at an average annual salary of $68,792 and to invest $500 million in the project by 2030.
  • Boom plans to start hiring workers for the new facility in 2023. You can learn more about careers at Boom here.

Incentives

  • PTI faced heavy competition for the project from multiple airports. The state has approved funding for airport improvements and provided a Job Development Investment Grant to secure the project for North Carolina.
  • North Carolina’s state legislature approved $106.7 million for improvements at PTI to help secure the aerospace manufacturer. These Improvements include the construction of the initial hangar building, site work and access roads.
  • The initial hangar building, where Overture will be produced, will be designed and constructed to accommodate other uses when needed.
  • The state also approved $87.3 million Job Development Investment Grants for the company, which will receive the grant funding only if it meets employment and investment goals set out by the state.
  • Boom’s project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years, the same time period over which the Job Development Investment Grant would be made, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

What is a Supersonic Aircraft?

  • A supersonic aircraft is capable of flying faster than the speed of sound (Mach Number 1, or about 761 mph), which would significantly reduce travel times on long distance air routes over water.
  • Overture, the Boom Supersonic commercial airliner, will fly as fast as Mach 1.7 (1304 mph), cutting travel time from Atlanta to Dublin, for example, from the current 8.5 hours to about 4 hours.
  • When a supersonic aircraft reaches the speed of sound, it creates a disturbance in the air that results in a loud sonic boom. Some people describe a sonic boom as sounding like a thunderclap. Commercial aircraft may only create a sonic boom over open seas due to FAA regulations.
  • Because supersonic aircraft can travel much faster than traditional aircraft, there has been a resurgent interest in developing a sustainable supersonic commercial airliner.

Design and Certification

  • The Overture is being designed at the Boom Supersonic headquarters in Denver. That work will continue at Boom headquarters as the production facility is being constructed at PTI.
  • Overture is currently expected to make its first flight at PTI in 2026, when the supersonic jet will have received initial certification from the FAA. The FAA’s schedule will ultimately determine the date of initial flight operations at the airport. The company expects to have Overture ready to enter service by 2029.
  • You can learn more about the company, the aircraft and development milestones here.

Noise

  • Overture will not produce sonic booms near the airport or anywhere over land. The FAA allows supersonic noise from commercial aircraft only over open water.
  • Overture is designed with the latest noise-reducing technologies. While traveling over land, Overture will create sound at approximately the same level as large jets already in service at the airport.
  • Boom is mindful of community noise and working to ensure minimal impacts when the company begins flights at PTI.
  • To learn more about the noise reducing Overture design go here.

Sustainability & Environment

  • Boom is committed to industry-leading standards of sustainability.
  • Overture is being designed to run 100% on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and will be net-zero carbon.
  • Boom is planning a LEED-certified assembly line, and Overture will be designed with aircraft end-of-life recycling in mind.
  • You can learn more about Boom’s approach to sustainability here.