Dubai to London in 4 hours by supersonic jet

SUPERSONIC SPEEDS: Aerion said it had received pre-orders worth $3 billion for its supersonic business jet. (Supplied)

US aviation company Aerion has taken $3 billion worth of orders for its planned supersonic business jet which, when completed, could fly from Dubai to London in four hours, it said on Saturday.

Aerion had taken 40 deposits of $250,000 each for the $80 million aircraft, sufficient enough for the plane to go into production, reported the UK's Sunday Times newspaper.

Aerion expects to sell over 300 planes over the next decade when the jet is ready to launch by 2014, according to the paper.

Dubbed "son of Concorde", the eight to 12-seater jet will be able to fly at more 4,600 miles at speeds of up to 1,050 miles per hour, or 1.6 times the speed of sound.

Aerion's sales outside the Americas are being handled by Swiss-based Execujet, which has bases in Dubai and Riyadh.

Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, head of the Ajman Muncipality and Planning Department, was one of the first customers in the gulf to buy the plane.

“This week we have seen orders for the biggest and the fastest airplanes - in the new global economy there is a place for both.” said Sheikh Rashid at the Dubai Airshow last November.

“For me, speed confers great advantages - it will simply speed up the pace of business activities, and allow me to take key business associates to more places, discussing more opportunities.”

Since the demise of Concorde in November 2003, the Aerion project will be the first new supersonic plane to go into service

Plans for a hypersonic plane were also unveiled by British firm Reaction Engines in February this year.

The A2 project, partly funded by the European Space Agency and the EU, aims to build a 300-seat jet capable of a top speed of 3,400 mph - five times the speed to sound.

The A2 will be capable of travelling from London to Sydney in under five hours and weighs 400 tonnes, lighter than a Boeing 747.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Slower than Concorde!
Posted by Mike, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Saturday 24 May 2008 at 11:18 UAE time


Given that Concorde could cover the same distance (Saudi authorities permitting in their airspace) in just over 3 hours 15 mins!
It is nearly 5 years since the demise of the Concorde. I still feel it will be long time before we see an aircrft of the Concorde's calibre in the skies of the Gulf! To call this 'the son of Concorde' is a bit perverse as it has none the heritage and is to be made in the USA!
The combined wills of EADS, the French & british governments put paid to the premature fate of the Concorde. Rather than capitalising on the relative success (admittedly not commercial) the parties decided to bury the aircraft and abandon any subsequent plans for its successor!

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