Boeing unveil their stunning hypersonic space plane concept
The future of transportation is fast, very fast, and companies are once again getting serious about building commercial hypersonic aircraft.
Key takeaways
- The future of air travel? The hypersonic passenger plane could, in theory, fly as fast as Mach 5, or just under 3,900 miles per hour.
- A flight from New York to London could be as quick as two hours.
- Right now, those flights take about 11 hours and 7 hours, respectively.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2019) 'Boeing unveil their stunning hypersonic space plane concept', 311 Institute, 1 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/boeing-unveil-their-hypersonic-stunning-space-plane-concept/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
It’s a vision of the future that could someday jet people from the Los Angeles to Tokyo in just three hours or cut the time of a flight between New York and London down to just two, and it's just one of an increasing number of visions for the future of fast global transportation vehicles that include supersonic aircraft like those from Boom and Lockheed Martin, and more audaciously Mach 27 rockets that criss cross the world in just 30 minutes or less from companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Recently Boeing unveiled a rendering of their first ever design for a hypersonic passenger plane at an aerospace conference in Atlanta, but while that's big news in itself one of the most interesting points, in my book at least, is the fact that this aircraft will likely be dual use, in other words it's not just a "traditional" albeit hypersonic commercial aircraft, but the vision also included turning the aircraft into a stunning hypersonic space plane - an idea that's been gaining traction as the concept of space tourism takes off with companies like Virgin Galactic who recently successfully tested their second space plane in the US a few weeks back. However, while the idea and potential of the plane will generate plenty of buzz, this is a concept that is likely decades from being built.
The hypersonic passenger plane could, in theory, fly as fast as Mach 5, or just under 3,900 miles per hour. That would allow the plane to carry passengers between Los Angeles and Tokyo in roughly three hours. A flight from New York to London could be as quick as two hours. Right now, those flights take about 11 hours and 7 hours, respectively.
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is pushing the aerospace giant to explore the potential of ultra-fast passenger planes.
"I think in the next decade or two you're going to see them become a reality," Muilenburg told CNBC recently. “We see future innovations where you could connect around the world in about two hours.”
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The future of transportation is fast, very fast, and companies are once again getting serious about building commercial hypersonic aircraft.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on transport and mobility and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 1 January 2019. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2019). Boeing unveil their stunning hypersonic space plane concept. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/boeing-unveil-their-hypersonic-stunning-space-plane-concept/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.