Will hypersonic passenger planes ever be a reality?

Passenger planes today are comfortable and reliable, but could they fly faster? The latest engineering developments suggest we could speed planes up several times over, creating true aircraft of the future.

From the shape of the plane and the choice of engine and fuel, to the environmental impact and economic viability – a European research project is studying, in cooperation with Japan, all aspects of passenger flight at several times the speed of sound.

The results could change the way we see long haul travel, according to Emmanuel Blanvillain, a researcher in conceptual aircraft design at Airbus Group Innovations. He is also the HIKARI project coordinator. “The objective of a high-speed plane compared to planes we know today is reducing journey times, aiming to travel between Europe and Japan, for example, in around three hours.”

Planes this fast will need new technologies of propulsion, new materials and completely new designs, developed by research and industrial partners fr