Airbus says ‘supersonic jet’ could fly to London in one hour
Plane maker Airbus has come up with yet another quirky design for the aircraft of the future.
The company has filed a patent for an ‘ultra rapid air vehicle’ capable of flying between London and New York in just an hour.
Billed as the ‘Son of Concorde’, the new supersonic jet would fly at 3,400 mph – more than four times the speed of sound, making it more than twice as fast as Concorde.
However, it would carry only a fifth as many passengers – 20 at most – leading to speculation that fares would be out of the reach of all but the wealthiest travellers.
Airbus, which has filed a patent for the jet, said it was aimed at business travellers and VIPs who wanted to make long-haul day trips.
The plans show the plane would be propelled vertically by rocket engines to supersonic speeds and then hydrogen-powered wing mounted ramjets would take over and propel the aircraft to its destination.
It would then travel at speeds of up to Mach 4.5 before slowing and joining regular jets as it neared its destination.
Airbus claims the new plane’s shape and vertical trajectory would dramatically reduce the sonic boom that travelling at high speeds creates and which caused many countries to ban Concorde.
It says the aircraft would be able to complete trips such as Tokyo to Los Angeles in just three hours – a journey that currently takes 11 hours 30 minutes.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025