By May 2014, Aerion had invested over $100 million for technological development. The company announced at the May 2014
EBACE that it was redesigning its previous
Aerion SBJ with a larger cabin, more range, and three yet unspecified engines for a $100 million-plus target price. The redesign aimed to fly a prototype in late 2018/early 2019 and certify the plane itself in 2021. Aerion intended to finance $3 billion for development, reducing risk for industry partners. In September 2014, Aerion partnered with
Airbus.
Airbus Defence have supersonic expertise and available resources. The unit cost was predicted to be at the May 2015 EBACE. In May 2015,
NASA contracted
Rockwell Collins to model
supersonic boom on ground: predicting sonic booms and allowing pilots to see affected areas could ease restrictions against supersonic flights over inhabited areas. By September 2015, it was scheduled to enter service in 2023. In May 2017, Aerion was hoping to launch it in early 2018.
2017 redesign In December 2017, Aerion and
Lockheed Martin announced that they would explore its
joint development without
Airbus, aiming to fly in 2023 and be certificated in 2025. On December 15, after discussions with Lockheed's
Skunk Works, they announced a
MoU to explore over a year the
joint development of the supersonic business jet: engineering, certification and production.