Supersonic airliner could fly LA to Tokyo in under three hours

Right now, a lot of us can't even fly out of our own countries, but if Florida-based planemakers Aerion are to be believed, by the end of the decade we'll be able to jet between Los Angeles and Tokyo in under three hours.

The Aerion AS3 is a Mach 4+ commercial airliner, revealed Monday, that its manufacturers say will be able to carry 50 passengers at a range of 7,000 nautical miles, CNN reports.

"Our vision is to build a future where humanity can travel between any two points on our planet within three hours. Supersonic flight is the starting point, but it is just that - the beginning," said Aerion's chairman, president and CEO, Tom Vice, in a statement. "We must push the boundaries of what is possible."

Earlier this year Aerion expanded its ongoing partnership with NASA's Langley Research Center, with a specific focus on commercial flight in the Mach 3-5 range.

To put that in layperson's terms, that's 2,300 to 3,800 miles per hour, or 3,700 to 6,200 kph -- or up to seven times as fast as a regular long-distance passenger plane.

Conceptualization and design work is currently under way, with more details set to be revealed later in 2021.