Ever since British Airways retired the Concorde in 2003, the commercial airline industry has only operated at sub-sonic speeds.  Travelers have endured trans-oceanic flights lasting several hours longer than those in a plane capable of traveling faster than the speed of sound (768mph at sea level).  And while the demand for faster commercial aircraft seems obvious given the increasing pace of people’s lives and competition from other modes of high speed transportation, the hurdles facing renewed super-sonic flight, such as disruptive “sonic-booms” and high operating costs, are huge.

Gulfstream G650

While business travelers won’t have an airplane capable of breaking the sound barrier in the near future, the Gulfstream G650 will get them close.   The 18-passenger, 100-ft wingspan twin engine G650 is capable of speeds above 90% of Mach-1 with an almost 13,000-km range, making it the fastest jet in its class.   Each Rolls-Royce BR-725 A1-12 engine provides more than 16,000-lb of thrust and can cruise at up to 51,000-ft.   A spacious, comfortable interior ensures that passengers enjoy travelling to their destinations in record time.

So while large corporations and the super rich line up to buy one of these Gulfstream G650 jets, the rest of us can continue to line up at the airport security check-point and hope that supersonic flight over populated areas someday becomes a reality.