Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Fifty years to the day since the first British Airways Concorde took off with passengers on board, a final interview with Blake Scholl, founder of Boom Supersonic – and a word from Cuveé founder, Larry Mueller, about whether there is demand for breaking the sound barrier.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patricia Yates does: she is chief executive of Visit Britain, which has just delivered a major survey on the value of inbound tourism to the UK.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back by popular demand: more on supersonic flying. But Anna Hughes, director of Flight Free UK, does not believe we should return to the era of breaking the sound barrier. She recognises the achievement getting Concorde into the skies – but wants a different approach 50 years on from the first passenger flight.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All week I've been hearing about Boom Supersonic's plan for its Overture aircraft, 50 years after Concorde first flew with paying passengers. For an assessment of the routes on which there could be demand for faster travel, I turned to Oliver Ranson – editor of Airline Revenue Economics.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake Scholl, CEO and founder of Denver-based Boom Supersonic, tells me in part 4 of supersonic week, that the longer the route, the better the appeal of his Overture aircraft,This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake Scholl, the visionary Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, discusses the ambitious Overture supersonic airliner. He critiques Concorde’s commercial flaws while praising its engineering. Blake shares plans for 60 luxurious seats and targets a roundtrip fare of about £4,000, with hopes to lower costs. He emphasizes the sustainability of the Overture and highlights interest from major airlines. Lastly, he predicts that today's premium-economy flyers and private jet users will be the first to take to the skies in this new aircraft.

Part 2 of my exclusive interview with Blake Scholl, CEO and founder of Denver-based Boom Supersonic. His Overture aircraft aims to be the first supersonic passenger jet since Concorde was grounded in 2003. The Anglo-French supersonic aircraft was incredibly noisy and thirsty. Overture will be neither, he believes.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blake Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, advocates for the revival of commercial supersonic flight, succeeding Concorde. He dives into the historical context of why supersonic travel stalled after Concorde, attributing it to a 1972 U.S. ban. Scholl offers intriguing insights on how technology can now mitigate sonic booms using innovative software and weather data. Through his vision, he discusses how new flight paths could reshape aviation's future, enhancing speed and efficiency while minimizing noise.

Join Si King, a presenter known for highlighting railway architecture, and Siddy Holloway, who explores the cultural impact of stations, as they delve into the charm of the UK’s railway hubs. They share personal favorites like St Pancras, discussing its stunning Victorian design and emotional resonance. The duo reflects on how stations serve as significant landmarks of memory and identity, while Siddy dreams of Icelandic rail adventure. This enlightening chat reveals the heart of what makes these transit points truly beautiful.

Eleni Skarveli, director of the Greek National Tourism Organisation in London, says Athens and Thessaloniki are excellent winter destinations – and also reveals some of her favourite islands.This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.