In May 2021, American supersonic business jet developer Aerion announced the suspension of operations.

Aerion’s main project is the AS2 supersonic business jet. This project has been in operation for 18 years since it started in 2003. However, it had to stop production because it could not raise more funds to complete its development. This has caused some repercussions for the industry supply chain and some business jet operators.

For example, GE’s Affinity engine was selected as the power source for the AS2 project. After the project was terminated, GE also stopped the development of the Affinity engine. GE said that the engine does not have too many technical challenges, and that what affects its research and development is the user's financial problems. Boeing, another Aerion investor, eventually cancelled the investment.

This is obviously not good news for the supersonic civil aircraft market. Although there are still other startups developing supersonic civil aircraft, experts and regulators are not optimistic about its prospects. The market generally believes that the main body that can first build a more successful supersonic civil aircraft may still be the traditional aircraft manufacturer, because they have a deep enough understanding of the market and know how to develop, certify, and sell more effectively.