Bettman / Corbis.

Manufacturers collaborate on a Concorde successorAfter more than 25 years of supersonic passenger transportation, the Concorde was retired in 2003, primarily because it became commercially unviable. But Lockheed Martin and Gulfstream are reportedly collaborating with NASA scientists to design a successor aircraft. The “Son of Concorde” would be capable of flying from London to Sydney in four hours and would not create a loud sonic boom, which happens when a plane travels faster than the speed of sound. Instead, the new plane would create a noise “closer to a puff or plop.” Even if the new technology is deemed successful, the aircraft wouldn’t be commercially available until at least 2030.

You Might Also Enjoy:
A Day in the Life of an Airline Pilot
Frequent Flyers Face Program Changes