Virgin Announces New Baby Boom

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This baby is fast and it goes boom!

Imagine boarding your flight in London and arriving at your all inclusive resort in the British Virgin Islands in 2.8 hours.

Virgin Airlines has dubbed this supersonic ride, “Baby Boom” and it will hurtle passengers from London to New York in just three and a half hours.

Sir Richard Branson is preparing to unveil the prototype of a supersonic plane capable of whizzing passengers from London to New York in time for brunch.

The tycoon is working with an American startup called Boom in a bid to rejuvenate the aviation dream which died when Concorde was grounded in 2003.

The plane could allow wealthy passengers to commute to New York from London.

Supersonic travel halves the time it takes to cross the Atlantic.

Boom’s aeroplanes will travel at speeds unmatched since the passenger jet Concorde was grounded.

Virgin will help Boom build a fleet of supersonic jets capable of travelling at speeds of up to 1,451 miles per hour.

The aeroplane is called XB-1 but nicknamed the “Baby Boom” and is set to be “the fastest civil aircraft ever made”, according to Boom.

The two companies are expected to unveil a prototype of their aeroplane later today.

“I have long been passionate about aerospace innovation and the development of high-speed commercial flights,” Branson said.

“As an innovator in the space, Virgin Galactic’s decision to work with Boom was an easy one.

“Through Virgin Galactic’s manufacturing arm, the Spaceship Company, we will provide engineering and manufacturing services, along with flight test support and operations as part of our shared ambitions.”

Boom is headed up by Blake Scholl, a former Amazon executive and pilot.

He said tickets on his supersonic planes would cost the same as a journey on business class.

“Sixty years after the dawn of the jet age, we’re still flying at 1960s speeds,” he said.

“I started this because I was sad that I never got to fly on Concorde. I waited but no one was doing it, so I decided to.

“Ultimately I want people to be able to get anywhere in the world in five hours for $100.

“To get there you have to improve fuel efficiency, but step-by-step supersonic air travel will become available for everyone.”

The Boom jet is designed to be greener and more economical than Concorde.

It will also cause less noise when it breaks the sound barrier, which is vital to future success because supersonic flight is actually banned over the United States due to the din caused by sonic booms.

Richard Branson’s space firm will help build the supersonic craft.

It is expected to be fitted with a luxurious interior similar to first class, with large windows and an overhead locker for bags.

The plane is expected to have 40 seats in two rows and tickets will cost about $5,000 per person.

Does this mean the end of jet lag?

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About Jake Johnson 252 Articles
Jake Johnson is a full-time travel bum, who prefers warm climates where the women wear less clothing. We've tried to teach him things like manners and diplomacy, but we've given up and simply rely on our editors to remove the most offensive bits from his articles. We take no responsibility for his inane ramblings opinions - they are his own.
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