United Airlines Ventures, the venture capital arm of United Airlines, is investing in an aerospace startup called Astro Mechanica with the goal of cultivating fuel-efficient supersonic travel.
I think there’s a larger issue then with super sonic that we see with our economy at the current time: As credit card parks are being tightened (while corporate profits soar), stagnant wages, and higher populations/demand for cheap travel, such a technology may be the domain of the ultra-rich or perhaps travel enthusiasts such as Matt but not mainstream and THAT is a problem because there’s economy of scale.
Because in the end, it was the $10,000/ticket that killed the Concorde. If only. a niche set of enthusiasts are on them, there won’t be the infrastructure in place to keep it going. Someone will make money from the IPO and there will be a buzz around it for a decade before the inevitable fall.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
