American Airlines this week became the second major U.S. carrier to put in an order for high-speed Overture aircraft with Denver-based aerospace company Boom Supersonic.

Following a similar move from United Airlines last year, American has agreed to purchase up to 20 of the Overture planes, with an option to purchase an additional 40. In 2021, United committed $3 billion for 15 of Boom’s Overture airliners with an option to buy an additional 35 planes once they’re built—for a total of 50. American has paid a nonrefundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft.

Boom Supersonic’s Overture jets—which first debuted as concept drawings and wooden mock-ups in 2016—promise speeds of Mach 1.7, or 1,300 miles per hour, which is twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial planes. Flying at 60,000 feet, double that of today’s commercial aircraft, the 65 to 80 passengers aboard each plane will get curving views of the globe below. (Because the jets fly so much higher up, passengers can literally see the curvature of the Earth.)

The result will be greatly reduced flying times—San Francisco to Tokyo in less than six hours (versus the current average of 10), New York City to London in only three (compared to the approximately six hours it takes now), or three hours from Los Angeles to Honolulu (versus up to six hours now). Overture is being designed so that it can service more than 600 global routes with a range of up to 4,890 miles.

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