Rolls Royce has pulled out of the Boom Technologies supersonic jetliner project, saying “After careful consideration, Rolls-Royce has determined that the commercial aviation supersonic market is not currently a priority for us and, therefore, will not pursue further work on the program at this time.”
The surprise announcement came only a few weeks after the headline buzz caused by American Airlines order for 20 of the planned planes. At the July announcement of the AA deal, Boom’s CEO left no hint of the coming split, saying that Boom had “made a lot more progress in propulsion than we’re sharing today.”
After the Rolls announcement, CEO Blake Scholl said a new engine supplier would be named later this year, adding that “Rolls’ proposed engine design and legacy business model is not the best option for Overture’s future airline operators or passengers.”
Boom’s proposed plane, called Overture, has been scheduled to fly prototypes in the next few years and enter service around 2029.
