US aerospace giant Boeing has announced that it is partnering with much smaller US aeronautics company Aerion to accelerate and complete the design, development and production of the latter’s AS2 supersonic business jet. The partnership includes the making of a “significant” investment in Aerion by Boeing.

The details of the deal have not been revealed. The AS2 is described by Boeing as a “next-generation supersonic aircraft” and the aim of the partnership is to “unlock supersonic air travel for new markets”. Under the partnership deal, Boeing will contribute engineering, manufacturing and flight test resources to the project, as well as what Boeing calls “strategic vertical content”, to ensure that the AS2 reaches the market.

Aerion was established in 2003 to create new and more efficient aerodynamic technologies for supersonic flight. In 2014, the company unveiled its AS2 design – a 12-passenger business jet.

The AS2 is intended to achieve speeds of up to Mach 1.4 (Mach 1.0 is the speed of sound), or some 1 600 km/h, while meeting today’s environmental performance requirements. In October last year, US aero-engine company GE Aviation announced its Affinity turbofan engine, designed to power the AS2 and the world’s first new civil supersonic engine design in 55 years.

Flying as much as 70% faster than subsonic business jets, the AS2 would cut the time of a flight across the North Atlantic by about three hours. Its maiden flight is expected to take place in 2023 and it is hoped that the aircraft will achieve certification in 2025.

“The AS2 is the launch point for the future of regulatory-compliant and efficient supersonic flight,” affirmed Aerion chairman, president and CEO Tom Vince. “Together with Boeing, we’re creating a faster, more connected future with tremendous possibilities for enhancing humanity’s productivity and potential.”