American Airlines and Boom Supersonic have signed an agreement for the Fort Worth-based carrier to purchase up to 20 Overture aircraft, with an option for an additional 40.

American’s Chief Financial Officer, Derek Kerr, said American has paid a non-refundable deposit on the initial 20 aircraft, which will carry passengers at twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft.

He said Boom Supersonic’s Overture would introduce an important new speed advantage to American’s fleet, which is currently “the simplest, youngest and most efficient among U.S. network carriers”.

Under the terms of the agreement, Boom must meet industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions before delivery of any Overtures, according to American.

“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” Kerr said.

“We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”

Overture is being designed to carry 65 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 over water — or twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft — with a range of 4,250 nautical miles.

OptimiSed for speed, safety and sustainability, Overture is also being designed to fly more than 600 routes around the world in as little as half the time, including Miami to London in just under five hours and Los Angeles to Honolulu in three hours.

“We are proud to share our vision of a more connected and sustainable world with American Airlines,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom.

“We believe Overture can help American deepen its competitive advantage on network, loyalty and overall airline preference through the paradigm-changing benefits of cutting travel times in half.”

In July, Boom revealed the final production design of Overture, which is slated to roll out in 2025 and carry its first passengers by 2029.