Supersonic Jets Could Soon Cut Your Flight Time in Half

With both driverless cars and flying cars on the horizon for Dubai, you’d think the Emirate has reached the peak of innovative transport options. But the excitement continues as supersonic planes are expected to be a reality sooner than you think.

US-based company Boom recently announced it will be bringing the Boom Supersonic, a high-speed passenger plane, to the UAE as early as 2023.

Just how fast? 

The Boom Supersonic holds a capacity of 55 passengers and it’s built to withstand travel speeds of up to 2.6 times faster than the normal plane, reaching 2,335 kilometres per hour.

This speed would allow passengers to get from Dubai to London in 4.30 hours, compared to the usual 7.30 hours. Other examples include Dubai to New York in 7.30 hours instead of 14 hours, to Sydney in 8.20 hours instead of 13.45 hours and to Johannesburg in 4.30 hours instead of 8 hours.

SEE ALSO: New driverless, flying cars to launch this summer

Speed isn’t the only upside though! Flying at 60,000 ft results in less turbulence and even better views. The company’s first test flight will be taking place next year.

How much will it cost?

When it comes to pricing, passengers can expect to pay about the equivalent to current Business Class rates. Once a bigger capacity is possible, the prices are likely to drop.

For airline companies looking to purchase the jet, it’s going to set them back $200 million each. Currently Richard Brandon’s Virgin Galactic has reserved the option to buy the first 10 planes and there’s another unnamed company that reserved another 15.