Northrop & Johnson’s partner NetJets, the global leader in private aviation, and FlightSafety International, the premier professional aviation training company recently announced a collaboration with Aerion, the leader in supersonic technology.
As part of this collaboration, NetJets is exploring the opportunity to be the exclusive business jet operator for Aerion Connect, which is a vision for future global mobility. Aerion Connect aims to assimilate multiple currently separate urban and regional networks to deliver a smooth point-to-point travel experience which also provides an elevated level of speed and luxury across an array of transportation options. The Aerion Connect development and collaboration with NetJets is a momentous move toward the realization of Aerion’s vision: to connect any two places on earth within three hours.
“As the leader in private aviation, we constantly look for ways to be on the cutting edge, and expanding our fleet to become the exclusive business jet operator for Aerion Connect is a thrilling next step,” says Adam Johnson, Chairman and CEO, NetJets Together, we will be exploring the integration of the AS2 supersonic business jet into NetJets’ global network, and we are honored to be their chosen partner to enable the Aerion Connect vision.”
One key long-term facet of the collaboration is NetJets’ purchase rights to 20 AS2® supersonic business jets. The AS2 is the world’s first supersonic business aircraft that also was designed to be the most eco-friendly and responsible aircraft ever made as it is certified for net-zero CO2 operating emissions. Furthermore, it is the first supersonic aircraft that doesn’t necessitate afterburning engines. The AS2 will break the sound barrier as it utilizes the advantages of Mach Cut Off, an atmospheric phenomenology in which the sonic boom refracts off denser, warmer layers of air. This allows the aircraft to reach supersonic speeds over land without the potentially harmful “boom” ever reaching the ground. The AS2 will have a top speed of Mach 1.4 or 1000+ miles per hour. She will boast a range of 4,200 nm at Mach 1.4 and 4,500 nm at Mach .95, allowing her to fly from New York to London in just four-and-a-half hours, New York to Moscow in six hours and London to Chicago in five hours. The AS2 will have a seating capacity of eight to 12 passengers. The aircraft will go into production in 2023 with her maiden flight expected in 2025.
The announcement of the collaboration between NetJets and Aerion comes on the heels of NetJets’ newly launched Global Sustainability Program, a worldwide commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of our brand and Owners with a focus on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investment, and corporate and consumer offsetting.
For more information on NetJets, please click here.
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