Boom Supersonic has selected the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina as the site of its first full-scale manufacturing facility.

The Overture Superfactory manufacturing facility will include the final assembly line, test facility, and customer delivery centre for the Overture supersonic airliner. Carrying 65 to 88 passengers, Overture is capable of flying on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at twice the speed of today’s fastest passenger jets.

Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic said: “Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines. With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”

Overture Superfactory will bring more than 1,750 jobs by 2030

North Carolina has a strong aerospace workforce, which includes a large number of US military veterans. North Carolina also affords good access to technical schools, providing Boom with a pipeline of skilled labour. The Piedmont Triad area is in close proximity to many tier-one aerospace suppliers, benefiting Boom as Overture production ramps up. Additionally, the close proximity to the eastern seaboard facilitates supersonic flight testing over the Atlantic Ocean. Boom corporate headquarters remain just outside of Denver, Colorado.

The Overture Superfactory will be approximately 400,000 square feet and constructed on a 65-acre campus at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Boom will bring more than 1,750 jobs to North Carolina by 2030, expanding to a total of more than 2,400 jobs by 2032. North Carolina economists estimate that the Overture Superfactory will grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years.

To develop the next generation of supersonic professionals, Boom will also create 200 internships through 2032 for students who attend publicly funded North Carolina universities, community colleges, or technical schools.

First Overture set to roll out in 2025

“It is both poetic and logical that Boom Supersonic would choose the state that’s first in flight for its first manufacturing plant,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “Like the success of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, this innovative company will succeed by transforming passenger air travel with speed and sustainable energy.”

Boom expects to break ground later this year on the Overture Superfactory and will begin production in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry its first passengers by 2029. Commercial interest in Overture, including orders and options, totals $14 billion from United Airlines and Japan Airlines. Boom is also working with the United States Air Force on government applications of the aircraft.

Video: FINN editor-in-chief Alan Peaford talks to Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl after the unveiling of Overture prototype XB-1,  marking the handover from creating the aircraft to the testing phase.

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