Supersonic Airliner In Doubt As Company Shifts to Powering AI Data Centers

Boom Supersonic's timeline for launching its Overture supersonic airliner by 2029 is facing increasing skepticism as the company shifts its focus to manufacturing natural gas turbines for AI data centers. According to United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, the original projected launch date of 2029 is now unlikely to be met. In an interview with the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast on October 28, 2026, Kirby stated that the 2029 timeline is unrealistic and that the project's completion will take longer.

Boom has been devoting significant resources to developing natural gas turbines for AI data centers as a supplementary revenue stream. The company announced the construction of a new factory in Centennial, Colorado, dedicated to producing a 42-megawatt natural gas turbine called Superpower for data centers. This new factory is still under construction but plans to deliver its first gas turbines to AI data center customers in mid-2027. Annual production is expected to increase to 25 turbines in 2028 and 50 turbines by 2029.

Despite this shift in focus, Boom maintains that the development of the Superpower gas turbine is synergistic with its design of the Symphony engine for the Overture airliner. The company unveiled a prototype turbine core, called Sprint Core, which is intended to eventually power both the Superpower gas turbine and the Symphony engine for the airliner.

This turbine core is currently undergoing testing at the Colorado Air & Space Port, with plans to fire it up for the first time before Thanksgiving. This milestone signals progress, but the company still faces significant challenges in proving its ability to successfully launch both its AI data center and supersonic airliner ventures.