CHICAGO, Ill., -Boeing announced today its partnership with Aerion, a Reno, Nevada-based company specializing in supersonic aircraft. As part of the agreement, Boeing made an investment in Aerion to help accelerate technology development and aircraft design. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Boeing will provide engineering, manufacturing and flight test resources, as well as strategic vertical content, to bring Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet to market. The AS2 is designed to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.4 or approximately 1,000 miles per hour. With the ability to fly up to 70 percent faster than today's business jets, the AS2 will save approximately three hours on a transatlantic flight. The aircraft is slated for first flight in 2023.
"This is a strategic and disciplined leading-edge investment in further maturing supersonic technology," said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt.
Founded in 2003 to develop new, more efficient aerodynamic technologies for supersonic aircraft, Aerion introduced its AS2 12-passenger business jet design in 2014. The company unveiled the AS2's GE Affinity engine design in 2018.
"Together with Boeing, we're creating a faster, more connected future with tremendous possibilities for enhancing humanity's productivity and potential," said Tom Vice, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Aerion.
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