Private aviation company NetJets announced Wednesdays that it has obtained purchase rights for 20 AS2 supersonic business jets by Aerion, which start production at Aerion Park in Melbourne, Florida in 2023. The new AS2—the first supersonic aircraft to enter commercial service in 51 years and the world’s first supersonic business aircraft—is designed to be inherently environmentally responsible as it’s the first supersonic aircraft to be powered by 100 percent engineered synthetic fuel and reach supersonic speeds without the need for an afterburner.
“At Aerion, our vision is to build a future where humanity can travel between any two points on our planet within three hours and this new partnership is a significant step towards realizing that vision,” said Aerion’s chairman, president and CEO Tom Vice in a press statement.
In addition, NetJets, which touts itself as the owner and operator of the world’s largest and most diverse private jet fleet, and Aerion will explore NetJets’ becoming the exclusive business jet operator for the global mobility platform, Aerion Connect. Aerion Connect aims to integrate multiple, currently siloed urban and regional networks and provide a point-to-point travel experience, optimized for speed and luxury across multiple modes of transportation.
In collaboration with FlightSafety International (FSI), a professional aviation training company, Aerion will also develop a supersonic flight training academy for civil, commercial and military supersonic aircraft. The Aerion-branded facility will channel FSI’s global training expertise to provide a center of excellence for supersonic flight training and education, shaping the flight crews of the future.
The partnership announcement comes on the heels of NetJets’ newly launched Global Sustainability Program, a worldwide commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of the brand and its owners, with a focus on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investment, corporate and consumer offsetting. As part of the agreement between Aerion and NetJets, the two companies will also work together on domestic and international actions intended to facilitate the global availability and broad adoption of synthetic aviation fuels.
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