I hope so. Concorde was one of the most beautiful pieces of engineering ever produced and inspired me to a career in the industry.
Cathy Hunsley, Basingstoke
We do not need supersonic or hypersonic passenger air travel and its massive costs and safety risks, especially with modern communications. If you need to get to a business location quickly then do it electronically via Facetime, Confravision or Skype and remove the need to travel with its resource and time wastage and global pollution. The money spent on supersonic air travel research would be far better spent on making aircraft more fuel efficient, resistant to bomb or missile attack, capable of staying afloat when landing on water and immune to fuel fires during accidents.
Richard Young, Manchester
Am I dreaming this is being discussed again? Hurrah – I would love this to make a comeback. I can only hope it would be in a seriously beautiful iconic form, not a Thunderbirds-type replica like some of the military jets. Concorde Mk II or Eurofighter Typhoon-type shapes, please.
C Hosier, Essex
There was an appetite for it then – Concorde was always busy and popular.
If they get the package right (the technology plus the service) then there is no reason why it will not be popular again. Not just for business, but for leisure travellers wanting something different.
If there are too many people operating supersonic, though, it may be different – its uniqueness helped Concorde to succeed.
Mike Renfrey, Cheshire
I think it could succeed – but the trend towards more efficient transport, and the ability to be ‘always on’, means that long flights aren’t the barrier to communication they once were.
Sarah Clark, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
Yes, I think it can. But only in the form of an aircraft with a lower sonic boom, allowing them to fly supersonic over land. I do not see another Concorde happening.
Crawford Murray, West Sussex
It was a crying shame when Concorde took its last flight. It is now as inspiring for its design and what it achieved as it must have been at its design and launch. It’s a sign of man’s preoccupation with costs and lesser things when he ceases to strive to be better technologically. A new supersonic jet would be a sign of continuing desire to leap ahead with real engineering achievements.
Rich Pearson, Kazakhstan
The government should invest in Hotol and Ramjet to stimulate the engineering sector.
Simon Vaughan, Aberdeen
If Donald Trump can potentially become president of the US, then supersonic air travel has a chance of making a comeback.
Colin Sanderson, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire
After the US doing their best to stop Concorde flying anywhere there, it’ll only get off the ground if Boeing make the aircraft. It’s not the technology stopping it, it’s the politics.
Duncan Saunders, Derby
I would suspect the business jet market is under pressure already because of the reduced need to have face-to-face meetings with the modern alternatives the internet offers. Other than for the fast carriage of desperately needed small items, what really is the point of saving a few hours when the additional expense will inevitably be huge, and firms the world over are focusing on reducing costs?
Ben Burslem, Leicester
Supersonic travel is strongly correlated with the egos of senior executives. Since these are unlikely to shrink it is clear there will always be a market for these aircraft. However, the general economic advantage of arriving in New York a few hours earlier is limited, therefore we will not see the likes of Concorde again. Any further developments will be in the area of smaller executive jets. Also, in an internet age with Skype widely available, in our company we have found that face-to-face meetings can be held without undue travel. The cost/benefit advantages of having a company aircraft, let alone a supersonic craft, will need to come under careful scrutiny and may well not be viable.
Brian McMahon, Camberley, Surrey
They say time is money, so for the privileged few this might be considered worthwhile. However, with increasingly scarce fossil fuel resources, surely investment would be better made in travel that is more environmentally friendly?
Neil Dunmore, Derby
There will always be a market for supersonic travel but it will come at a cost which excludes the vast majority of the population. The main benefit to most people would be any jobs that it creates.
Roger Bailey, Abu Dhabi, UAE