Boom's Airliner Delayed as Company Builds Data Center Turbine Business

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby cast doubt on Boom Supersonic’s 2029 timeline for delivering the first Overture airliner. In an October 28 podcast interview, Kirby identified remaining regulatory and technical challenges while maintaining general confidence in the company. His assessment followed March comments where he pegged commercial service prospects at 50-50. The FAA in June proposed eliminating a longstanding ban on commercial supersonic flights over the US, following an executive order from the Trump administration.

Boom is concurrently developing natural gas turbines for AI data centers as an additional business line. On October 22, the company unveiled a Colorado factory dedicated to manufacturing its 42-megawatt Superpower turbine, targeting first customer deliveries in mid-2027, 25 units in 2028, and 50 in 2029. US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Colorado Governor Jared Polis attended the announcement. The effort faced a major setback when data center developer Crusoe withdrew from a $1.25 billion purchase agreement for 29 turbines.

Boom describes the two ventures as synergistic, relying on a shared prototype turbine core called Sprint Core. The company plans its first prototype firing before Thanksgiving. The Overture production facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, completed in 2024 with over $50 million in state funding, has remained largely dormant since then.