Nearly 50 years after the abandonment of SST, Boeing is back on a civilian supersonic program and joins the Aerion project. As part of the agreement, Boeing intends to invest significantly to accelerate the technological development and design of the aircraft and thus “create a true supersonic air transport market.”

Boeing will provide expertise in engineering, manufacturing, assembly and flight testing of the aircraft. The first flight of the Aerion AS2 is scheduled for 2023.