Supersonic flights will soon change the landscape of commercial aviation
Long distance flights are dreaded by even the most seasoned travellers. Spending more than 10 hours seated in an airplane is a boring and dull affair. A Delhi-New York flight lasts for more than 15 hours. There have been enhancements in comfort, efficiency and capacity but where speed is concerned precious little has been achieved. Even today, planes fly at the same speed that they achieved in the 1960s.
History of Commercial Supersonic Aviation
The Concorde was one of the pioneering efforts in accelerating the speed of flight. It was in service for almost 27 years, and to this day remains the fastest commercial passenger aircraft in aviation history; achieving a cruise speed of Mach 2.0. But sadly, due to high operating costs and expensive tickets, a breakthrough in aviation became a memorabilia.
The Concorde defined the glamour of high-speed aviation. It was great for long distance flights though. London to New York, a distance which took eight hours in a conventional flight was covered in just three and a half hours in the Concorde. At supersonic speeds, the travel time for the Delhi-New York flight can also be cut down by more than half.
Boom! It’s Delhi to New York in 5 Hours!
According to Boom Technology, a supersonic passenger aircraft is under development that will be an update of the legendary Concorde. It will be faster, much more efficient, and quieter. It will have seating capacity for 45 passengers and have a cruising speed of Mach 2.2 (2,335 km/h). It will be 2.6 times faster than the conventional wide-body airliners as well as 10% faster than the Concorde.
The supersonic airliner will be powered by three medium-bypass turbofan engines with proprietary modifications. These will be powerful, efficient engines without any afterburners, which were there on the Concorde and accounted for 78% of fuel consumption.
To put things into perspective, fare for a round transatlantic trip in the Concorde would’ve cost you ₹ 7.69 lakh, whereas the Boom airliner will charge you around ₹ 3.2 lakh. With progress being made, it seems that 50 years since the first aircraft went supersonic; the dream of flying at the speed of sound might become a reality for everyone after all.
No matter whether you fly conventional or supersonic in the future, always fly safe and opt for an international travel insurance. It not only protects you from any untoward incident but also offers you peace of mind so that you can enjoy your trip.
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