(CNN) — The race is heating up to produce the first supersonic passenger aircraft to enter commercial service in more than 50 years. Aerion AS2 could fly from New York to London in 4.5 hours. Courtesy AerionNew supersonic eraThe last supersonic passenger jet to traverse our skies was, of course, Concorde, which retired from service more than 17 years ago. Vice reckons that "boomless cruise," coupled with carbon-neutral operations, will deliver compelling productivity advantages for prospective AS2 customers. In October 2020, the Denver-based start-up made history by rolling out its XB1 demonstrator aircraft , the first independently developed supersonic plane.

Source: CNN January 25, 2021 16:30 UTC