Boom Supersonic’s 2029 Overture Goal Falters After $1.25 Billion Crusoe Deal Collapses
United doubts Boom’s 2029 Overture launch as the startup pivots to gas turbines after Crusoe’s $1.25 billion AI power deal collapses.
Summary
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on October 28, 2026, that Boom Supersonic’s official 2029 Overture delivery would slip and warned that certification hurdles could prevent commercial service, after rating its odds 50-50 in March. Boom has promised FAA certification and first paying passengers in 2029 under conditional American Airlines, Japan Airlines and United Airlines agreements carrying undisclosed non-refundable deposits. Its XB-1 demonstrated Mach cutoff “boomless cruise” in 2024 and 2025, while NASA’s X-59 has tested a separate low-boom design since October 2025. President Donald Trump’s executive order preceded the FAA’s June 2026 proposal to end the US commercial overland supersonic ban. Boom’s 2024 Overture factory at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, remains mostly dormant despite more than $50 million in taxpayer support.
On October 22, Boom unveiled a still-under-construction Centennial, Colorado, factory for parts for its 42-megawatt Superpower natural gas turbine. It targets first AI data center deliveries in mid-2027, annual output of 25 turbines in 2028 and 50 in 2029. CEO Blake Scholl acknowledged on September 25 that Crusoe dropped a $1.25 billion order for 29 turbines, but said unnamed sites would receive about 250 MW next year. Boom says its completed Sprint Core prototype can underpin both Superpower and Overture’s Symphony engine. Testing is planned at Colorado Air & Space Port, with the first firing due before Thanksgiving.
Positives
- XB-1 flights in 2024 and 2025 demonstrated Boom’s Mach cutoff approach to quieter supersonic travel.
- The FAA’s June 2026 proposal could remove the US ban on commercial overland supersonic flights.
- Superpower targets mid-2027 deliveries, followed by annual production of 25 turbines in 2028 and 50 in 2029.
- Blake Scholl said unnamed sites would receive about 250 MW of Superpower capacity next year.
- Sprint Core could support both the Superpower turbine and Overture’s Symphony engine, sharing development across two markets.
Risks & concerns
- Scott Kirby expects Boom to miss its official 2029 Overture deadline after placing its commercial prospects at 50-50 in March.
- Crusoe abandoned a $1.25 billion agreement to purchase 29 Superpower turbines.
- Boom’s North Carolina Overture factory remains mostly dormant despite receiving more than $50 million in taxpayer support.
- Overture still faces substantial development and FAA certification hurdles, with no guarantee it will reach commercial service.
- Boom must prove two unestablished businesses while its Colorado factory remains under construction and customers for 250 MW remain unnamed.