Could all our future planes travel faster than the speed of sound? It’s been more than 20 years since the last supersonic passenger flight took off, but a US company wants to bring it back.

Boom Supersonic, based in Colorado, is developing the world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft since the demise of Concorde. While the full-size aircraft is still a few years away, the company has reached a milestone in the project when it successfully broke the sound barrier with its small-scale test aircraft on Tuesday.

The XB-1, affectionately known as the ‘Baby Boom’, is a one-third-scale demonstrator used to test the technology that Boom will employ in its full-scale aircraft. Yesterday, the XB-1 achieved Mach 1.05 within about 11 minutes of taking off.

“XB-1’s supersonic flight demonstrates that the technology for passenger supersonic flight has arrived,” Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl said in a statement. “A small band of talented and dedicated engineers has accomplished what previously took governments and billions of dollars”.

The aircraft, which flew for the first time in March, is made almost completely from lightweight carbon fibre. It uses an augmented reality vision system to help with landing, since its long nose and high-angle approach can make it difficult for pilots to see.

“The future of aviation is here and now,” told Amy Marino Spowart, president and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association. “Not only is there hope for faster and better commercial flight, but Boom proves that it can be done sustainably”.

Boom’s Overture airliner will be the first supersonic passenger aircraft in more than two decades. But can it succeed where past efforts to get us travelling faster have failed?

A short history of supersonic passenger planes

Back in the 1950s, everyone was convinced that supersonic was the next big thing in air travel. Having just about mastered the jet engine, the aviation industry was inspired by Chuck Yeager, who was the first to break the sound barrier in 1947. Major manufacturers set about designing a commerical passenger aircraft that could do the same thing.

Boeing, certain that the mighty 747 would be the last subsonic aircraft it produced, began working on the 2707 SST (supersonic transport). Lockheed proposed the L-2000, a supersonic aircraft that could carry 250 passengers. However, neither aircraft went into production.

Just two supersonic passenger planes have ever entered service – the Russian Tupolev Tu-144 and the venerable Anglo-French Concorde. In total, 20 Concordes were built, although only 14 flew in passenger service. Russia built 16 Tu-144s.

The Tu-144 – affectionately known in the industry as the ‘Concordski’ – entered service in 1975 but was retired from passenger service just three years later. Concorde lasted longer, flying from 1976 until 2003.

So, why did aviation give up on supersonic passenger transport so soon?

What was the problem with Concorde?

The appetite for a supersonic passenger plane was strong. By the time Concorde took its first test flight, orders had been received for more than 100 aircraft from dozens of major airlines of the day. Pan Am, American Airlines, BOAC, and Lufthansa were counted among the many carriers keen to fly faster routes.

But even before the aircraft entered service with British Airways and Air France, many of these orders had been cancelled. Three main problems existed with the plane – noise, smoke, and money.

The 1973 stock market crash and an oil crisis in the same year made airlines rather cautious about aircraft that consumed a lot of fuel. Reports suggested that Concorde achieved a per-passenger fuel efficiency of 15.8 mpg (17.8 L/100 km), making it a rather thirsty option.

In comparison, the Boeing 747 would achieve a per-passenger mpg rate of 46.4 (6.1 L/100 km), and the popular Douglas DC-10 managed as high as 53.6 mpg (5.3 L/100 km).

Coupled with the worries about fuel consumption, the noise of Concorde’s sonic boom caused issues that made its planned routes with potential buyers unviable. Complaints of broken windows and cracked plaster from households under the flight path, and even farmers reporting panic amongst livestock, meant Concorde was banned from going supersonic over land.

As a result, the plane was forced to fly subsonic until it got over the open ocean. This meant Concorde’s high-speed routes were mainly focused between Europe and the USA, making the plane less attractive to potential buyers who wanted to operate routes over land.

In the end, only Air France and British Airways ever flew the Concorde. Putting the aircraft into passenger operation presented yet another challenge, however, as the costs to power such a fuel-hungry jet with a modest passenger load of around 100 people made the business case very weak.

In order to make Concorde profitable, both airlines had to charge eye-watering prices for tickets. According to the National Air and Space Museum, British Airways would charge around $12,000 (€11,550) for a round trip between London and New York. Adjusted for inflation, that shakes out to around $66,000 (€63,500) in today’s money.

The companies made a go out of it – just about. Despite the high costs, both airlines managed to sell tickets, with passengers seeing their trip as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. But the cabin was noisy, smelly, and cramped – hardly a luxury experience for the money.

The death blow came when an Air France Concorde was involved in a fatal crash in 2000. Debris on the runway was blamed for rupturing a tyre, which then punctured one of the fuel tanks. This caused the plane to crash into a nearby hotel, claiming the lives of 113 people.

While both BA and Air France cited high maintenance costs for the retirement of their Concorde fleets in 2003, there were many factors at play. In truth, the market had moved on, and a trend for low-cost flying and more efficient aircraft had made Concorde redundant.

Will Boom Supersonic succeed where Concorde failed?

If you believe the hype, Boom claims to have already dealt with many of the issues that contributed to Concorde’s demise. Noise, cost, and efficiency are high priorities for the company to tackle.

Part of Concorde’s noise profile was a direct result of the engines using afterburners to achieve supersonic flight. Overture will not use afterburners, which should significantly reduce fuel consumption and the associated noise.

For passengers, the cabin is a world away from the cramped, noisy environment on Concorde. Advanced soundproofing measures mean it shouldn’t seem any louder than a conventional jet aircraft, and the company has already floated some designs for its interiors that look suitably luxurious and comfortable.

The company has developed its own engine solution that it says will reduce fuel consumption. These engines are designed to run on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel which, although not available at scale yet, would further reduce its environmental impact.

Overture hasn’t quite managed to eliminate the sonic boom effect, but thanks to more optimised aerodynamics, the impact will be reduced significantly. The company promises that Overture will be able to fly over land at Mach 0.94, about 20 per cent faster than subsonic aircraft, without breaking the sound barrier.

For now, the supersonic aircraft would be restricted to breaking the sound barrier over water. Boom says there are more than 600 transoceanic routes on which Overture could provide a supersonic solution without changing current regulations relating to sonic booms.

“Overture was created to achieve optimal performance while meeting our stringent safety and sustainability requirements,” says Boom Supersonic. “We are leveraging more than fifty years of advancements in aerodynamics, materials, and propulsion to build economically and environmentally viable supersonic aeroplanes”.

But what of the market demand? By the end of Concorde’s lifespan, British Airways said it was selling only around half of its available tickets. Air France, still suffering from the tragic crash in 2000, was selling less, only around 35 per cent.

Concorde’s ticket prices were up there in the ultra-luxury category. In contrast, Boom is targeting business travellers, and pricing seats accordingly. Early estimates suggest a round trip Europe to USA ticket for around $5,000 (€4,800), in the ballpark of what passengers pay for business class seats on regular jets today.

“Today, there’s both the market demand and the technology to enable mainstream supersonic travel,” the company says. “Business and leisure travel has continued to grow, and travellers are willing to pay for speed.”

Boom is targeting 2029 for the entry into service of its Overture airliner. It has already had orders for 130 aircraft from multiple global airlines, including American Airlines, United, and Japan Airlines. If it can steer clear of the pitfalls that ended Concorde’s career, supersonic travel may well be back on the cards.

Taking photos is a popular travel pastime, as we seek to capture moments and scenes so we can enjoy them long after the holiday is over. The collective enthusiasm for travel photography is breeding a wealth of talent, creating mesmerising images that highlight the beauty and diversity of our planet.

According to research by Virgin Media O2, most of us spend an inordinate amount of time pointing the camera at ourselves. They found that, on average, holidaying people take around 14 selfies a day, with one in ten admitting to getting into risky predicaments for the perfect holiday snap.

Nevertheless, travel serves to inspire photographers, both professional and amateur. Thanks to the endeavours of talented creatives, we can enjoy a window into the world, experiencing exotic destinations and seeing life from a new angle with their unique blend of timing and composition.

The best of the best are revealed in the winning images for the 2024 Travel Photographer of the Year awards. This year, there really are some stunners in the crop.

For the second year in a row, talented American photographer Piper Mackay has scooped the top prize for her incredibly unusual photographs, which she shoots in infrared.

“So many images seen today are over-saturated, over-processed and even AI-generated,” says Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) founder Chris Coe. “A ‘less is more’ approach is often far more effective.”

“Piper Mackay’s distinctive winning images illustrate this ‘less is more’ ideal well,” Chris continues. “The use of black and white, with a camera converted to shoot infrared (IR), allows us to absorb the details and atmosphere which good monochrome conveys so well”.

Mackay, posting on her blog, said the win had left her ‘speechless,’ commenting, “After more than 20 years of photographing across the African continent and focusing on infrared photography for the past decade, this honour means a great deal to me, especially because it represents both my wildlife and tribal images”.

Young photography talent on show

TPOTY not only recognises established professional travel photographers but also serves as a springboard for younger creatives trying to break into the industry.

Aged 14, Raymond Zhang has been taking photographs of his surroundings since he was just 10 years old. Inspired by the plight of birds in Shanghai whose habitats were being destroyed for development, he began using his camera to raise awareness and send a deeper message.

His winning images for Young Travel Photographer of the Year focus on a group of workers at a coal mine in Hami City, Xinjiang province, China.

The people he photographed have worked at the mine for many years, with some as long as four decades. But with the mine facing closure, their future was uncertain. Zhang notes that it was also Chinese New Year, and the men were still working hard instead of spending time with their families.

Leonardo Murray, just 12 years old, scooped the prize for ‘Young TPOTY 14 years and under’ for his stunning photographs of the undulating sand dunes in Namibia.

The youngest award winner was Jamie Smart from the UK. Aged nine years old, he submitted a beautiful collection of images of seabirds to claim runner-up in the under-14s category.

In the age 15-18 category, 17-year-old Maksymilian Paczkowski scored a win with a portfolio of images of wild birds in action. He says that he loves playing with light and shadow to create art and that photography, to him, is all about the story behind the shot and the patience it takes to capture a fleeting moment.

Capturing cultures to celebrate people

Mexican photographer Maricruz Sainz de Aja won in the ‘Faces, People, Cultures’ category with a series of images of the Wauga tribe from Papua New Guinea. Here, two Wauga elders stand together, adorned with intricate feathered headdresses and covered in black mud.

“Photography is a tool for connection and storytelling, and each photograph is a reflection of the world’s complexity and the emotions that bind us,” says Maricruz. “I am committed to preserving these stories and contributing to a global interest in culture, nature, and humanity.”

While Maricruz won the portfolio category, the winner of the ‘single image’ category was Partha Pratim Roy, a Singapore-based photographer originally from West Bengal, India. His photograph depicts an Indonesian horseman struggling to control his lively steed, captured in East Java.

In a new category for TPOTY this year, Rising Talent celebrates amateur photographers as well as those who have turned professional very recently. Sofia Brogi from Italy captured this haunting image of a young girl in Sarnath, India, to win one of the ten Rising Talent awards.

Explaining the image, Sofia says the girl is called Gunja and doesn’t know her surname or date of birth. She was homeless and begging under a tarpaulin when Sofia met her.

“Gunja, for me, is India: a symbol of the caste system and its scars,” explains Brogi. “She embodies the innocence of a child who doesn’t know her own birth date but knows how to express gratitude.”

Another Rising Talent winner was Kevin Hoare from the USA, whose photograph of a boy from the Suri tribe in Omo Valley, Ethiopia, captured the imagination of the judges.

Hoare explains that cattle represent wealth and status in the Suri community and are constantly monitored, often with armed guards. This little boy, he says, is “following in his father’s footsteps.”

While all other categories are judged by an anonymous panel of 15 experts, there is one category the judges don’t get a say in. The People’s Choice award is decided by a public vote, and this year the winner was Mauro de Bettio from Italy.

De Bettio’s image displays a wonderfully close relationship between an endangered pangolin and the man who rescued it from a wildlife market in Nigeria, West Africa.

Photographing the power, beauty and terror of nature

Travel photographers give us a unique window into the world, and this year’s TPOTY winners have shone a light on both the beauty and the heartbreak of the natural environment.

Winning in the Planet Earth category, Roie Galitz submitted a portfolio of captivating images of glacier fronts in Bråsvellbreen, Svalbard. Capturing meltwater cascading down the sheer ice wall of the glacier illustrates the profound impact of climate change on the polar regions and their contribution to sea level rise.

Continuing that theme, Alain Schroeder from Belgium won in the Planet Earth category for the best single image with this shot of a young child looking out at the flooded streets of Jeruksari near Pekalongan, Indonesia. This visual captures the tangible consequence of climate change in all its raw glory.

One of the Rising Talent winners, Gilberto Costa from Portugal captured a stunning image of an erupting volcano in Antigua, Guatemala. He noted that this shot required much patience, spending a night on a cold and windy adjacent mountain waiting for the perfect moment.

Agnieszka Wieczorek from Poland also won in the Rising Talent category for his capture of volcanic activity. The Fagradasfjall eruption in Iceland that began in 2021 has drawn huge numbers of visitors, as the slow-moving lava and relatively accessible site allowed people to get up close in a safe manner.

Winning the Escape category, Ngar Shun Victor Wong from Hong Kong submitted this almost fantastical scene shot in Sveti Tomaz, Slovenia. The quaint church peeping out of a snowy scene shrouded in mist captures the timeless beauty of nature and architecture in a dreamlike image.

A window into the world of animal lives

No travel photography awards would be complete without a bit of wildlife, and this year’s TPOTY awards did not disappoint.

Winner of the best single image in Wildlife and Nature was Joshua Holoko from Australia, who snapped this amazing image of a Pallas cat in the Steppe region of Eastern Mongolia. Lying in the snow and covered in hoar frost, the cat is well camouflaged while it rests after a busy night hunting.

Scooping a highly commended in the nature category for his portfolio, Scott Portelli from Australia submitted this incredible photograph of a group of Adelie penguin chicks hiding from predators in a tunnel in an iceberg.

The winner in the portfolio category for ‘nature shots’ was Jenny Stock from the UK, who travelled to Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, for this beautiful photograph of a crocodile. From above, its prey would see nothing but its eyes popping out above the surface – while its powerful body hangs below the water, hidden from view.

Honoured in the Rising Talent awards, Dmytro Geshengorin was lucky to capture this amazing image of a pheasant taking off next to a roe deer in Minden, Germany. He had been lying on the ground, waiting for the deer to look his way, when the bird suddenly flew across its path.

Underwater photography was featured too. Khaichuin Sim from Malaysia grabbed one of the Rising Talent awards for his sub-aqua portfolio. Here, his freediving wife is surrounded by a huge school of jackfish off the coast of Sipadan Island, Malaysia.

There are dozens more stunning travel photography images to enjoy on the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) website. The winning shots will go on display at the Banbury Museum and Galleries in the UK from 29 March to 7 July, while exhibitions are also planned in the UAE and China later in the year.

Next time you’re on your travels, shun the selfie in favour of the world around you. Seek to capture a moment in time as only you can see it and, you never know, you could be one of next year’s winners.

An airline in the United States has recently made headlines for introducing a series of regulations for passengers’ clothing.

Spirit Airlines says it has had to enforce the stricter dress code after incidents involving inappropriate outfits.

The rules include stopping passengers from boarding if they are barefoot or wearing clothing with swear words.

Some carriers have similar policies detailed on their websites. Others don’t have specific guidelines but gate and cabin crew are told to look out for certain unacceptable attire.

US airline enforces stricter passenger dress code

In January, Spirit Airlines updated its ‘Contract of Carriage’ to prohibit certain items of clothing, ways of dressing and types of body art.

The regulations now state that passengers will not be able to board if they are “barefoot” or are “inadequately clothed” – defined as “see-through clothing; not adequately covered; exposed breasts, buttocks, or other private parts”.

They also warn against passengers “whose clothing or article, including body art, is lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature or has an offensive odour unless caused by a qualified disability.”

The airline reportedly brought in the stricter measures after one passenger attempted to board wearing a crop top while another was dressed in a t-shirt with an obscene slogan.

Other carriers in the US also have dress codes. A policy from United Airlines states that passengers can be turned away if they are “barefoot, not properly clothed, or whose clothing is lewd, obscene or offensive.”

Delta Air Lines warns that passengers can be removed when barefoot or “when the passenger’s conduct, attire, hygiene or odour creates an unreasonable risk of offence or annoyance to other passengers.”

European airlines can refuse passengers wearing inappropriate clothing

Although not explicitly stated on websites, European carriers also enforce dress codes.

Last year, a member of cabin crew for one European airline told UK newspaper The Sun: “We’re well within our rights to prevent people getting on the flight and it’s used frequently for people who aren’t dressed in a way we would deem to be acceptable.”

They reportedly cautioned Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and Easyjet customers in particular, adding: “There are some obvious examples here, including t-shirts with swear words or offensive logos on them, which people are regularly asked to cover up, or remove, before they get on board.”