The Trump administration has taken a major step to overturn a 50-year ban on supersonic flights over US land, citing technological advances that could eliminate the ear-shattering sonic boom. The Department of Transportation plans to replace the prohibition with a noise-based certification standard, allowing aircraft to fly faster than Mach 1 as long as noise stays below a set level.
FAA Proposal and Timeline
Since 1973, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prohibited civil aircraft from exceeding Mach 1 over US land to prevent disruptive sonic booms. A notice published by the FAA on Tuesday, June 30, confirmed that the agency will replace the ban with a noise limit. The notice follows an executive order by President Donald Trump issued in June 2025 directing the FAA to repeal its prohibition, establish an interim noise-based certification standard, and remove regulatory barriers hindering supersonic aviation technology. The FAA hopes to finalise both rules by mid-2027.
Technological Advances Promise Quieter Supersonic Flight
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement that technological advances will eliminate the old sonic boom. "This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over US territory while minimizing noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports," he added. In the 1960s, a plane flying faster than the speed of sound—about 660 mph at high altitudes—created shock waves that reached the ground as a loud gunshot-like crack, according to Forbes. Tests during that decade found repeated booms broke windows, damaged property, and sparked thousands of public complaints. In its 1973 ruling, the FAA stated that due to technology limits, "a prohibition was needed to protect the public from sonic boom."
Concorde and the New Generation of Supersonic Jets
Several years after the ban, Air France and British Airways introduced Concorde. The airlines were allowed to serve New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport but flights had to remain subsonic over US land. Several US companies are now working on a new generation of luxurious supersonic passenger aircraft with much quieter sonic booms and improved fuel efficiency. Colorado-headquartered Boom Supersonic says it has pre-orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines for its Overture jets, which will carry 60-80 passengers. Atlanta-based Spike Aerospace is developing smaller Diplomat jets for up to 18 passengers. Both companies' websites tout future transatlantic flights in under four hours.
