Aerion last month at the Paris Air Show said it is nearing a decision on an aerospace manufacturing partner to lead the development and production of its supersonic business jet (SSBJ) design. According to the company, the next step is to carry out a pre-launch phase jointly with the OEM to confirm the Mach 1.6 jet’s performance, costs and market before formal launch in the third quarter of next year. Aerion then anticipates a five-year program, meaning the Aerion SSBJ could be flying in 2013 and certified by late 2015. The Aerion order book has held steady at approximately $4 billion, the company said.