Aerion Corporation CCO Forecasts Demand For About 600 SSBJs

Supersonic business jets could become the ultimate time machines, according to Ernie Edwards, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Aerion Corporation, which is in design and development phases for the supersonic business jet AS2.

Edwards believes the demand for supersonic business jets will be about 600 aircraft over 20 years, driven by the time efficiencies created by supersonic travel, which could save employees who travel by business jet up to four work weeks of travel time per year.

“We will likely see senior executive careers are extended,” said Edwards. “Trans-Atlantic day trips will become a normality.”

However, aircraft certification standards, which are primarily based on aircraft weight, and other regulations in the United States and abroad, will need to adapt to allow supersonic flight. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices will also need to be revisited.

Supersonic aircraft are not only more efficient but also more environmentally responsible, according to E. Tazewell “Ted” Ellett, partner at Hogan Lovells, but they can only be a realistic option for future travel if current regulations related to landing and takeoff noise standards and the existing prohibition of civil aircraft operations over Mach 1 over the U.S. are revised.

“The biggest obstacle to supersonic travel is regulatory, not technical,” said Ellett. “On the certification side, the lack of FAA Part 36 landing and takeoff noise certification requirements for supersonic aircraft keeps manufacturers from finalizing designs. The current speed limit prohibits flights for supersonic flights – even for aircraft that are relatively quiet, with a sonic boom that is inaudible or barely audible on the ground.”

Ellett encouraged the U.S. to remain the leader in supersonic travel research and development and said the only way to stay on the forefront is to advocate for the FAA to develop reasonable policies and standards on landing and takeoff noise and aircraft speed limitations over land. Aerion and others are also working with ICAO to develop practical noise and environmental standards that take supersonic aircraft into consideration.

“The most important aspect of this is FAA leadership,” said Ellett, encouraging regulation and policy that are economically reasonable and technologically practicable, as the FAA’s efforts will likely set the global standard.

Although the AS2 could operate in the existing regulatory environment, Edwards believes a new certification and regulatory environment will lead to a more productive supersonic era.

(Source: NBAA news release. Images provided and from file)

FMI: www.nbaa.org