Rolls-Royce Will No Longer Power Boom's Supersonic Airliner

Boom Supersonic will need to secure a new engine partner to power its Overture Supersonic jetliner after Rolls-Royce.

Friday, September 09, 2022 at 04:45 PM ET

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Boom will now look to other engine manufacturers, such as GE Aviation (NYSE: GE), Pratt & Whitney (NYSE: RTX), and Safran, which have supersonic propulsion programs. [Courtesy: Boom Supersonic]

Key Takeaways:

Rolls-Royce has terminated its contract to develop engines for Boom Supersonic's Overture jet, stating that the commercial supersonic market is not a current business priority.
Boom Supersonic must now find a new engine partner, which could impact its goal of launching commercial supersonic flight by 2029, despite having secured orders from major airlines.
The new powerplant will need to accommodate Boom's updated Overture design, including four wing-mounted engines with noise reduction systems, and be capable of operating on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

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Boom Supersonic will need to secure a new powerplant partner to make its planned Overture jet fly faster than the speed of sound. Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce exited its contract with the commercial airline manufacturer earlier this week.

Despite announcing in 2020 that the two would work together to identify a propulsion system that would fit the airframe of Boom’s Overture design, Rolls-Royce backed out of the project after delivering a series of design concepts. Bloomberg reports that the engine maker decided that the commercial aviation supersonic market was not a present business priority.