Flexjet has placed a firm order for 20 supersonic business jets under development by Aerion, a would-be manufacturer backed by billionaire investor Robert Bass with technical involvement by Airbus.
The announcement adds more credibility to the program as Aerion strengthens its ties with Airbus and decides on a site for its factory. Aerion hopes to bring the speedy three-engine AS2 to the market by 2023, a timeline that could change depending on how quickly technical milestones are met.
Airbus will provide major components and Aerion will do the final assembly of the AS2. For the production facility, Aerion needs a 100-acre site near a U.S. airport with a runway at least 9,000 feet long. Its plan is to break ground on the factory in 2018.
Aerion is targeting the first flight of the AS2 for 2021. Top speed over the ocean will be Mach 1.5.
A division of Directional Aviation, Flexjet is one of the leading fractional ownership companies in the United States.
