Nasa sees market for supersonic aircraft

Dallas

SINCE the dawn of the Jet Age, airline travel has evolved radically save for one aspect: We still fly at around 500 mph. The Boeing 707, usually credited with starting it all in 1957, cruised at 600 mph with an altitude ceiling of 41,000 feet - almost identical to aeroplanes now in production.

Nasa says technology is now primed for a leap forward - to supersonic flight - cutting cross-country travel times to two hours or less and making a trans-Atlantic trip a matter of just a few hours. The question is whether commercial jet makers, and airlines for that matter, will follow its lead.