Ctrip.com has announced the completion of a strategic investment in Boom Supersonic, the leading supersonic airplane developer.
Boom is applying the proceeds to accelerate the development of the company’s Mach-2.2 airliner.
Boom and Ctrip are working together to bring supersonic flight to China.
Leveraging its extensive knowledge of the Chinese market, Ctrip will help Boom accelerate its ongoing partnership efforts with airlines in China.
Ctrip is uniquely positioned to help Boom navigate the Chinese airline industry.
Additionally, Boom will help Ctrip explore offering its customers ten-to-15 seats on one of Boom’s first several supersonic commercial flights.
Together, the two companies are working to make the world more accessible by halving flight times from China to the United States, south-Asia, and Oceania.
“Ctrip offers valuable expertise in the Chinese travel market, and we’re excited to work with their passionate, entrepreneurial team to bring supersonic travel to the region,” said Blake Scholl, founder of Boom.
“San Francisco to Shanghai, for example, could shrink from 11 hours to six – and a typical round-trip itinerary can be accomplished two whole days faster.
“But the benefits of faster travel extend far beyond the time savings.
“What really matters are the new trips you choose to take – the ones you otherwise wouldn’t have considered because the journey was simply too long.
“When we fly twice as fast, the world becomes twice as small, turning far off lands into familiar neighbours.”
Boom is building a supersonic airliner capable of carrying 55 premium passengers at Mach 2.2 (2,335 kilometres per hour), more than twice as fast as current passenger airplanes at the same cost as today’s business class fares.
“As a leading innovator in the commercial aviation industry, Boom will be positioned to provide exciting premium global flight options for Ctrip users and Ctrip is making a strategic investment in the next generation of travel.
“In addition, Ctrip’s unrivalled expertise in the business-travel market will help Boom to further deepen its relationships with Chinese airlines,” said James Liang, co-founder of Ctrip.
Ctrip has made an investment into Boom Supersonic, joining other strategic partners like Japan Airlines to accelerate the future of air travel.
Previously, Japan Airlines has also pre-ordered 20 Boom aircraft, joining Virgin Group as a Boom launch customer.