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a nasa project hopes to bring back supersonic flights. what was the name of the last commercially flown supersonic aircraft?

Concorde was the last commercially flown supersonic aircraft.
Its final passenger service ended on October 24, 2003, with a British Airways flight from New York to London.

Quick History

The Concorde, a Franco-British engineering marvel, flew commercially from 1976 to 2003, slashing transatlantic flights to under 4 hours at twice the speed of sound.

Only 20 entered service, carrying elites like celebrities and executives on routes like London-New York.
A tragic 2000 crash and high costs sealed its retirement, but it logged over 50,000 flights safely overall.

Why It Ended

  • Economics : Fuel costs soared, tickets hit $12,000 round-trip, limiting it to luxury travel.
  • Noise bans : Sonic booms restricted overland flights, confining routes to oceans.
  • Competition : Subsonic jets improved, making speed less vital post-9/11 travel slump.

The Soviet Tu-144 flew passengers briefly until 1978 but never matched Concorde's 27-year run.

NASA's Revival Push

NASA's Quesst mission with the X-59 jet targets quieter "thump" booms for overland supersonic flights by late 2020s.

The X-59's first flight in 2025 advances this, partnering with Lockheed Martin to test public acceptance.

Boom Supersonic and others eye 2029 commercial returns, echoing Concorde's legacy.

TL;DR: Concorde (retired 2003) was the last; NASA's X-59 paves way for supersonic's comeback.

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