BOOM TIMES: The Triad's key airport gains respect while an aerospace innovator charts an uncertain course.

• Date: 01 March 2022
• Author: Mildenberg, David

Boom Supersonic wants to assemble its super-fast, 88-seat Overture jets at Piedmont Triad International Airport, a clear confirmation of Guilford County's emergence as an aerospace industry hotspot.

The $500 million investment sounds like a dream come true for the First in Flight state and passengers who want to scoot from New York to London in three-and-a-half hours instead of six.

But don't book that flight quite yet. Boom's ability to deliver on its exciting promise hinges on solving difficult economic and environmental challenges.

The manufacturer's proposal was hailed at a Jan. 26 event featuring North Carolina's top politicians, Gov. Roy Cooper and legislative leaders Tim Moore and Phil Berger. The Denver-based company has pledged to employ as many as 2,300 workers, with an average annual salary of nearly $69,000 by 2032. Employees would build jets that cut flight time sharply at fares comparable to those charged for first-class business cabin seats.

To help win Boom's commitment, the state set aside $107 million for the airport to grade and add infrastructure on hundreds of acres...