Boom Supersonic CEO and Founder, Blake Scholl has claimed that China has “entered the race” as plans for a COMAC supersonic jet emerged.
On March 29, 2025, the South China Morning Post reported that pubished documents suggested that the Chinese state-owned aerospace firm COMAC, was moving forward with plans for commercial supersonic flight with the introduction of the C949.
The news outlet said that COMAC designer Wu Dawei, had submitted plans to the journal Acta Aeronautica Sinica that would place China at the forefront of supersonic travel.
The proposed supersonic jet would have a range of 6,800 miles (10,944 km), configured for between 28 and 48 passengers with the capability to travel between Shanghai and Los Angeles in five hours.
Significantly, the South China Morning Post reported that the COMAC C949 would bring about a significant reduction in noise compared to Concorde, the last commercial supersonic aircraft.
Blake Scholl, whose company Boom is developing its own commercial supersonic aircraft called Overture, turned to social media to air his thoughts on the plans.
“China has entered the supersonic race. This design is obviously not real—but it won’t stay that way for long. But we’ll beat ’em. I’m on team @boomaero and team USA,” Scholl wrote on March 31, 2025.
A’ight folks, it’s no surprise, but China has now officially entered the supersonic race. Game on. Let’s beat ’em. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/sQHU7jGX0d
— Blake Scholl 🛫 (@bscholl) March 29, 2025
The Boom Supersonic boss also complained that the west is squandering its head start in aircraft development.
“Neither Boeing nor Airbus has launched a new jet in 20 years. The airplane was invented here in the US but we are watching a slow-motion crash as the West’s lead in aviation is squandered for no good reason. We must invent and build the next generation of jets here in the US,” added Scholl.
On April 1, 2025, Scholl continued: “China’s supersonic jet won’t be hampered by 1970s regulation barring faster flights. We need to get out of our own way to maintain American leadership in aviation.”
On January 28, 2025, Boom Supersonic saw its XB-1 demonstrator break the speed barrier during a test flight.
The flight was also used to test ‘Boomless Cruise’ in which despite travelling at supersonic speeds, the sound of the sonic boom does not reach the ground.
