Supersonic business jet maker Aerion to announce first customer

Aerion, the developer of a supersonic business jet whose leadership ranks comprise former Wichita executives, said Monday night it would announce a “major fleet operator” for its AS2 jet.

The Reno, Nev.-based company said it will reveal its first AS2 customer at noon Tuesday Pacific time, or 2 p.m. Central, on the opening day of the 2015 National Business Aviation Association Convention & Exhibition.

Aerion is developing a $120 million, eight-to-12 passenger business jet that will have a maximum operating speed of Mach 1.5.

Its executive ranks include Sean McGeough, former president Hawker Beechcraft’s sales and operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific; Ernie Edwards, who was director of sales for Cessna’s western division for most of the 1990s; Jeff Miller, former Learjet spokesman; and Brian Barents, president of Learjet from 1989 to 1996 and a former Cessna senior vice president of sales and marketing.

On Monday, Aerion announced a strengthening of its development partnership with Airbus Group as well as the formal commencement of a search for a U.S. assembly location. One of its assembly site requirements is a location within 200 nautical miles of a supersonic flight test area, “most likely off shore,” as well as proximity to a deep-water port.

The company expects to make an assembly site decision in the first half of 2016, and a groundbreaking in 2018.

The company is planning its first flight in 2021, and entry into service in 2023.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 6:06 AM with the headline "Supersonic business jet maker Aerion to announce first customer."