Boeing Joins Fort Worth's Robert Bass in Push to Build Supersonic Business Jet

Boeing Co. is joining with Aerion Corp., a startup founded by Fort Worth billionaire Robert Bass, to help build a supersonic business jet that would cut trans-Atlantic flight times by three hours.The U.S. aerospace giant will make a "significant investment" in Aerion -- its first from a planemaker -- to accelerate design and development, according to a statement Tuesday. Boeing will replace Lockheed Martin Corp., which had announced a partnership with Aerion in 2017, a spokesman for the supersonic-jet company said.Boeing's investment buoys Bass's dream of restoring supersonic civilian flight, which was discontinued in 2003 with the final voyage of Europe's Concorde amid noise restrictions and high operating costs. General Electric Co. in October said it completed an initial engine design for Aerion's AS2 aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound while meeting noise and emissions rules."We have the right team to build the future of sustainable supersonic flight," said Steve Nordlund, vice president of Boeing's NeXt investment unit, citing Aerion's supersonic expertise and his company's scale and commercial-aviation experience.  Continue reading...