United boss says Boom’s supersonic jet will not fly in 2029
The boss of United Airlines says Boom Supersonic will not deliver its Overture supersonic airliner in 2029, as promised. Scott Kirby, whose airline was one of Boom’s first customers, said the 2029 date “is not going to happen” and that it will take “a lot longer”. He was speaking on the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast, in an episode out on 28 October.
Kirby praised Boom and its chief, Blake Scholl, but warned the company still has “a lot of hurdles to overcome” in finishing the jet and winning certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “So it’s not a guarantee that they’ll overcome,” he said. In March, he had put Overture’s chances of entering service at 50-50. Boom still promises certification and paying passengers by 2029.
The doubts come as Boom turns to a second business: gas turbines for AI data centres. On 22 October, it unveiled a factory in Centennial, Colorado, to build a 42-megawatt turbine called Superpower. Boom aims to deliver its first turbines in mid-2027. Scholl called it “time for a renaissance in energy and in supersonic flight”.
The new business has already lost a backer. On 25 September, Scholl said a $1.25 billion deal had collapsed, under which developer Crusoe would have bought 29 of the turbines. Boom says the ventures fit together: a prototype core, Sprint Core, is meant to power both Superpower and Overture’s Symphony engine. Meanwhile, the Greensboro, North Carolina factory built in 2024 to make Overture has mostly sat idle, despite more than $50 million in taxpayer funding.
Why it matters
United, American and Japan Airlines all hold conditional agreements to buy Overture after paying deposits, so a long delay would leave their plans in limbo. The shift also raises a question about Boom’s focus, as it puts energy into data-centre power while the jet that made its name waits. There is a tailwind: in June 2026, the FAA proposed overturning the long-standing ban on commercial supersonic flights over the United States.
What happens next
Watch for Boom’s response to Kirby and the first firing of the Sprint Core turbine before Thanksgiving. The first Superpower deliveries are due in mid-2027, and the FAA’s proposed rule is still to be finalised.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://pivotnews.ai/energy/united-ceo-doubts-boom-s-2029-supersonic-jet-as-boom (Pivot News, 31 October 2026)
- https://ranzware.com/supersonic-airliner-in-doubt-as-company-shifts-to-powering-ai-data-centers (Ranzware, 31 October 2026)
