The makers of a “son of Concorde” business jet have won more than $3 billion ($1.5 billion) of orders before the first plane has even left the drawing board.

Aerion, the American group behind the new supersonic plane, is expected to announce at this week’s Ebace corporate aviation show in Geneva that it has sold more than 40 jets.

Aerion claims its eight-seat plane will fly at up to 1.6 times the speed of sound, slower than Concorde but fast enough to get from London to New York in four hours. It says it will be ready to enter service by 2014.

Each plane will cost $80m, and each of the orders received so far has been backed by a $250,000 deposit. Sales outside the Americas are being handled by Execujet, the aviation business controlled by Irish tycoon Dermot Desmond.

Aerion has struck a deal with Pratt & Whitney, the American aero-engine maker, to provide engines for the new aircraft, and is in talks with a manufacturer to provide the aircraft’s structure.

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