13 FEB 2019: Boeing Co has made a ‘significant investment’ in supersonic aircraft startup Aerion Corp. It is apparently to be ‘a new era of supersonic travel’ and mark the first commercial service since the demise of Concorde.

Aerion is developing a supersonic business jet called the AS2 which could launch by 2023 and fly at speeds of up to Mach 1.4 over land – theoretically cutting hours off long-distance flights.

The drawback – or perhaps not – of the AS2 is that it will hold only about 12 passengers. I

t has a list price of US $120 million and 300 aircraft are expected to be manufactured during the first decade of production.

As part of the deal, Boeing will get two seats on the Aerion board.

Aerion has previously worked with Airbus and a contract with Lockheed Martin recently expired.