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Home » Virgin Galactic » Virgin Galactic Unveils Next Generation Supersonic Jet
Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Unveils Next Generation Supersonic Jet

Matthew Klint Posted onAugust 4, 2020November 14, 2023 8 Comments

a plane flying in the sky

If you thought Virgin Galactic was only working on a swanky new spaceship, think again. The carrier is also working on a new supersonic jet that promises a cruising speed 50% faster than Concorde.

Virgin Galactic Unveils New Supersonic Jet

Virgin announced plans to work with Rolls-Royce to develop an aircraft that will travel at Mach 3 at a flight level of 60,000 fleet, 50% faster than the cruising speed of Concorde. Such an aircraft will theoretically travel between New York and London in 90 minutes or Sydney and London in five hours. Unlike Concorde, which held up to 128 passengers, this aircraft would only hold 9-19 people. Virgin mentions the aircraft “would also be able to incorporate custom cabin layouts to address customer needs, including Business or First Class seating arrangements.”

a plane flying in the sky

a plane flying in the sky

a plane flying in the sky

a plane flying in the sky

a plane flying in the sky

Virgin recently completed a “Mission Concept Review” with National Aeronatuics and Space Administration (NASA) on the aircraft and design. Now, Virgin will work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on how it will certify the aircraft for flight.

George Whitesides, Chief Space Officer at Virgin Galactic said:

“We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel.”

CONCLUSION

My heart races at the thought of flying SpaceShipTwo and it does for flying supersonic as well. The new aircraft design is beautiful, the technology is exciting, and I am so excited that innovation is alive and well. It has been 17 years since the last Concorde flight, far too long a gap in the supersonic history of aviation travel. Hopefully Virgin Galatic’s new design will take flight.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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8 Comments

  1. Santastico Reply
    August 4, 2020 at 9:00 am

    Wondering who would need business or first class on a 90 minute flight from NY to London. Also, 9-19 people seems way too little. I thought they were working on a technology that would fix the problems of the Concord so a supersonic commercial flight would be possible.

    • Mark in Ithaca Reply
      August 4, 2020 at 11:45 am

      I agree, this seems like a tough value proposition. There are certainly people who will pay $100,000 each to cross the Atlantic in a couple of hours, but more and more of them are the ones who already have their own planes and flight crews and don’t mind relaxing for a slightly longer flight.

      It might be that developing this first for a small passenger complement of superrich would serve as a good proof of concept to build a bigger aircraft that would fit more in the Concorde’s first-class and business-class slot, and could carry dozens of passengers if not a couple hundred.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        August 4, 2020 at 12:02 pm

        I also agree.

      • Stuart Reply
        August 4, 2020 at 12:43 pm

        You nailed it, Mark. Get this up and running for more boutique use and scale up as they figure things out. There is no doubt that this is the future of aviation.

        Unlike the 90’s though I don’t see myself being able to use miles for this, lol. Those were the days…USAirways miles for BA Concorde flights must rank for me as the best few years ever.

  2. Andy K Reply
    August 4, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    Agreed with the comments above. I don’t see this being feasible with less than 20 passengers on board. But then again, has Virgin ever been concerned with viability and profitability? Lying is like breathing on Branson and Musk.

  3. Dick Bupkiss Reply
    August 4, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    Fat Chance. Never Gonna Happen. Dream On, Suckers.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      August 4, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      You’re in a particularly bad mood today…

  4. Peter P. Santiago Reply
    August 7, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    I was so excited to read this article until it got to the passenger loads. I am afraid it will be built like the A380 with lots of fanfare. Then when it is actually used it will be a money loser as well. Like you Matthew I have dreams of a comeback to the Concorde. I do not see it with this version.

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