Miami to London in half the time? American Airlines agrees to purchase supersonic planes

American Airlines announced it has agreed to purchase up to 20 jets that could travel faster than current commercial aircraft – but are not in the air yet.

The airline and Boom Supersonic, an aerospace startup and the manufacturer of the jets, confirmed in a news release Tuesday that American agreed “to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40."

The “Overture” aircraft are “expected to carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft," according to the news release.

Flights from Miami to London now take about nine hours, and flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu take about six hours. The airline hopes to cut those flight times in half.

The jets are expected to carry 65 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 – or about 1,300 mph – over water, which is about twice as fast as commercial airline options available today. Mach 1.7 is 1.7 times the speed of sound.

But don’t expect the flights to be available by the next time you book your holiday travel. Boom has said the Overture is expected to roll out in 2025 and carry passengers by 2029.

Some experts have doubted Boom’s timeline, The Associated Press reported, noting that Boom does not have an engine manufacturer established yet, though it has been in talks with Rolls Royce and other companies.

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United Airlines announced a deal last year with Boom Supersonic for 15 of its Overture jets. United said at the time that it would buy the jets once Overture "meets United's demand safety, operating and sustainability requirements."

Contributing: Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press;

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Airlines to buy Boom Supersonic jets to cut flight time