Airbus, Aerion Eye Supersonic 'Finish Line'

Airbus, Aerion Eye Supersonic ‘Finish Line’

Stephen Pope

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 08:13 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Airbus and Aerion have partnered to develop Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet, with Airbus providing validation and Aerion offering proprietary aerodynamics research in return.
The collaboration provides Aerion with significant credibility, engineering input, and aims to accelerate the AS2's certification by 2021.
Airbus's primary motivation for the partnership is to gain access to Aerion's advanced aerodynamics research and design tools for its own high-performance aircraft technology development.

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Airbus Group Chairman Allan McArtor and Aerion founder Robert Bass toasted their companies’ new collaboration to bring a supersonic business jet to the market, raising champagne glasses together on the NBAA Convention show floor in Orlando, Florida, yesterday afternoon.

Asked by a journalist in attendance how far Airbus plans to take the sleek Aerion AS2 jet, McArtor responded with a smile, “To the finish line.”