The Department of Transportation said on Tuesday that U.S. regulators are moving to allow civilian supersonic flights over the continental United States for the first time in decades, advancing a plan to lift limits imposed because of sonic booms.
FAA Sets Path For Supersonic Flights
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed a rule setting a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft. The agency also said it plans to propose another rule later this year that would establish noise standards for landing and takeoff for those aircraft.
Together, the rules would give aircraft manufacturers a clearer path to finalize designs and bring passenger planes capable of supersonic speeds into commercial service. The FAA plans to finalize both rules by mid-2027.
"Restoring supersonic flight over land isn't just about speed, it's about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News. "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we are working at lightning speed to safely enable the next quantum leap in aviation technology and deliver an exciting new way to fly to the American flying public," Duffy added, calling the move a "game changer" for flyers in an X post celebrating the move.
New Technology Targets Sonic Boom Problem
Supersonic aircraft fly at or above Mach 1, or roughly 770 mph or more. Most commercial airliners cruise at about 550-600 mph, meaning supersonic jets could sharply cut travel times.
Civilian flights have long been barred from flying faster than Mach 1 over land in the U.S. because sonic booms can create disruptive noise at ground level and may damage windows.
The FAA said advances in aircraft design and a technique called Mach cutoff could reduce those effects. The technique uses aircraft design, atmospheric conditions, speed and altitude to bend and refract the sonic boom upward into the atmosphere, reducing impact on the ground.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, in a public press release, said advances in engineering, materials, noise reduction, and new operations could eliminate the old sonic boom and allow regulators to repeal the 1970s-era ban while limiting noise for communities near routes and airports.
Boom Supersonic Could Benefit From Rule
Boom Supersonic could benefit from the FAA's move. The company has flown its XB-1 demonstrator at supersonic speeds and is developing the Overture airliner. Boom has drawn orders and preorders from United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: UAL), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) and Japan Airlines.
A year ago, Trump signed an executive order directing the FAA to pursue international aviation safety agreements for supersonic aircraft.