Richard Branson Hopes To Introduce ‘Concorde-Style’ Supersonic Jets To Virgin Fleet

Sir Richard Branson is planning to bring back supersonic transatlantic travel with ‘affordable’ flights on Concorde-like planes.

The new jets will offer 3.5-hour passenger flights between London and New York.

A return ticket is likely to cost around $5,000 (£3,533).

The Virgin boss is teaming up with pilot and former Amazon executive Blake Scholl who is building a prototype jet called Boom, presumably named after the sonic boom created by supersonic travel.

Virgin has signed a deal to buy 10 of the speedy jets, according to The Guardian.

The entrepreneurs hope that the new airline will be more successful than Concorde as it will be more affordable.

Concorde was retired in 2003 following a downturn in fortunes after the 2000 Air France crash that killed 113 people.

The Boom supersonic het as it might look at Heathrow (Boom)

The first prototype of the new Boom jet is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and will feature 40 seats in two rows.

The passenger plane will travel at speeds of up to 1,451mph, while Concorde’s top speed was around 1,354mph.

Boom has also reportedly signed a deal with an unnamed London-based airline to help it to develop its own planes.

NASA is also working on a supersonic plane, albeit one that doesn’t create a sonic boom as it passes the supersonic barrier.

Image credit: Boom