American purveyor of sound-barrier-busting travel Boom Supersonic has announced its intention to bring supersonic flight to China this week, after finalising and completing a ‘strategic investment’ from Ctrip International.

The deal with the Chinese powerhouse will see Boom make use of Ctrip’s experience and knowledge of the Chinese travel market to expedite ongoing partnership efforts with airlines in the region, not to mention using the proceeds of the investment to expedite development of its Mach 2.2 airliner.

https://youtu.be/MdE9wHkgfbA

The experimental aircraft, designed for 55 passengers to travel at – yes, you guessed it – at Mach 2.2 (1,451 mph) is capable of transporting passengers twice as fast as current planes for the price of an average business class fare.

Coupled with the 21st century’s need for ever more connectivity, the airliner is a game changer for corporate travel, as Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom explained: “Ctrip offers valuable expertise in the Chinese travel market, and we’re excited to work with their passionate, entrepreneurial team to bring supersonic travel to the region.

Travel time for San Francisco to Shanghai, for example, could shrink from 11 hours to just six. But the benefits of faster travel extend far beyond the time savings: “What really matters are the new trips you choose to take—the ones you otherwise wouldn’t have considered because the journey was simply too long. When we fly twice as fast, the world becomes twice as small, turning far off lands into familiar neighbours,” Scholl added.

In turn, Boom will help Ctrip explore the potential for offering its customers 10–15 seats on one of Boom’s first several supersonic commercial flights. Together, the two companies are working to make the world more accessible by halving flight times from China to the United States, South Asia, and Oceania.

“A strategic investment in the next generation of travel”

“As a leading innovator in the commercial aviation industry, Boom will be positioned to provide exciting premium global flight options for Ctrip users and Ctrip is making a strategic investment in the next generation of travel. In addition, Ctrip’s unrivalled expertise in the business-travel market will help Boom to further deepen its relationships with Chinese airlines,” said James Liang, co-founder and executive chairman of Ctrip.