Boom Supersonic Inc. A Strategic Evaluation of Commercial Supersonic Flight

Boom Technology Inc. (Boom) is a startup based in Colorado, U.S., in 2017 with ambitions to enter the aviation market with a supersonic aircraft. Boom’s founder and CEO Blake Scholl believes that the end customers will pay a premium for a flight that gets them to their destination in less than half the time compared to current options. There are a number of stakeholders, including large and powerful traditional aircraft makers, regulators, aircraft buyers (e.g., airlines), and end-customers. For a startup like Boom, developing meaningful relationships within this complex web of stakeholders is one of the biggest challenges. In addition, Boom is not alone in its endeavour to bring back supersonic flights; there are two other startups with similar aims to Boom and that are also developing relationships and alliances with different businesses in the sector.

The case is presented from the point of view of Scholl as he contemplates the key issues that surround his business. There is a particular focus on the company’s strategy, the way it has obtained funding, and the development of partnerships within the industry. The aviation sector and its various markets are described, providing key information about the incumbents, other new players, regulators, and customers. Finally, Boom launches its demonstrator program, which is intended to prove out some of its key technology in 2018. The case concludes with a number of questions about the possible next steps for Boom.

This is a fast-moving topic as Boom continues to grow and as a result this case will be updated in due course when new information is available from Scholl and the Boom team.