JAL invests $10 mil in supersonic jet project

$10M isn't much, but I wonder if investments (or decisions) like these are one of the reasons it had to declare bankruptcy in 2009. Don't get me wrong, it's a good airline and I flew it from 2005 to 2015. I stopped flying them because I couldn't figure out their incredibly complicated (and sometimes moronic) frequent flier program. I now exclusively fly ANA and I don't fly any other airline, period.

That $10 million was in a big envelope handed to some exec under the table

10 million dollars only? Sounds very cheap for a project of this magnitude.

Branson is a cool character, but the man lets his heart get ahead of his head sometimes. What's going on with Virgin Galactic? Although if the project does bare fruit, $10 million is small beer to get in on such a project.

Is supersonic really the future? With Concorde in the 1960s-2000s, speed was important because CEOs and other executives were completely unreachable and disconnected while up in the air. It was basically wasted time. Today, modern technology changes that to some extent. For $5000 (the estimated ticket price of this new plane) I wonder how many people would rather spend a day or two flying on a comfortable and spacious airship with showers and a restaurant etc? Isn't that more futuristic?

I heard each riders get better looking delicious meal. It may attract more passengers. Hope it will be very profitable and comfortable to take a nap before reaching destination..

$10 million? Add a few more zeroes if you are serious?

That's $10 million down the toilet. I guess the fuel surcharge on JAL will have to rise to get it back.

JAL has bad service, aging planes, crummy schedules and an incomprehensible miles programme.  Actually many of the other OneWorld carriers (BA, Cathay) are also getting worse.  Investing 10 million in this company is just daft.

Given the increasing inequality in First World countries, supersonic flight is probably a goer now, given the money some people have. Concorde may have failed, but that was not the age of private space travel and supercars that cost several million dollars. The eco footprint of this thing will be massive, but we're not supposed to care about that. "When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat" etc. etc.

JAL received a government bailout after a high-profile bankruptcy restructuring in 2010. The carrier relisted on the Tokyo bourse two years later.

Interesting appendage to the article. Let's hope JAL is risking its own money on this venture, and not that of us taxpayers.

Elon Musk recently proposed city to city rocket travel as an alternative to jets of any kind... Check out this article if you're interested in the concept: https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/29/16383048/elon-musk-spacex-rocket-transport-earth-travel

Being able to arrive several hours ahead of a normal plane is a bonus for the rich but at war cost to our ever warming planet?