US plans to lift 50-year ban on overland supersonic flights
The US has proposed ending its 1973 ban on overland supersonic flights under new noise limits. The change could revive faster passenger travel if quieter aircraft like NASA's X-59 prove practical.
The US has moved to reverse a ban of more than 50 years on supersonic flights over land, unveiling a proposed rule that would allow such aircraft to operate if they stay within set noise limits. The move follows NASA's recent test of the experimental X-59 aircraft, which flew faster than the speed of sound without producing the loud sonic booms usually linked to supersonic travel.
The proposed Federal Aviation Administration rule would replace the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight with a noise-based standard. It would permit aircraft to fly above Mach 1, or 767 miles per hour, over land as long as the noise created remains below a prescribed level. A separate rule on landing and take-off noise for supersonic aircraft is expected later this year, and both rules are likely to be finalised by mid-2027.
Sonic booms can shake windows and, in severe cases, risk damage to buildings. At present, airline operators need special authorisation from the FAA to fly faster than Mach 1, and that too only for research and testing over isolated areas. FAA chief Bryan Bedford said, "Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom." He added, "This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over US territory while minimising noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports."
Earlier this month, NASA demonstrated what it described as a "quiet" supersonic flight when the X-59 reached a top speed of 713 miles per hour, or Mach 1.1, at an altitude of 43,400 feet. NASA said the aircraft is designed to travel at supersonic speed while producing only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom.
US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy said, "Restoring supersonic flight over land isn't just about speed, it's about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel." He added, "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." Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said, "For too long, outdated rules held back our engineers and manufacturers. Under President Trump's leadership, we are clearing the runway for supersonic flight, strengthening our industrial base, creating high-skilled jobs, and ensuring the future of aviation is invented and built in America." He added, "American ingenuity broke the sound barrier once before, and today's action ensures it will define the new Golden Age of Aviation."
Supersonic passenger travel is not new. Air France and British Airways operated Concorde, which flew at Mach 2 and crossed the Atlantic in about three-and-a-half hours. But it could fly at such speeds only over the ocean and had to slow to subsonic speed over land. Concorde services ended in 2003 because of high operating costs. Alongside NASA, US companies including Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are also developing supersonic aircraft and plan future transatlantic flights in under four hours. The latest US proposal seeks to reopen overland supersonic travel by replacing the old ban with modern noise standards.
With PTI Inputs
The US has moved to reverse a ban of more than 50 years on supersonic flights over land, unveiling a proposed rule that would allow such aircraft to operate if they stay within set noise limits. The move follows NASA's recent test of the experimental X-59 aircraft, which flew faster than the speed of sound without producing the loud sonic booms usually linked to supersonic travel.
The proposed Federal Aviation Administration rule would replace the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight with a noise-based standard. It would permit aircraft to fly above Mach 1, or 767 miles per hour, over land as long as the noise created remains below a prescribed level. A separate rule on landing and take-off noise for supersonic aircraft is expected later this year, and both rules are likely to be finalised by mid-2027.
Sonic booms can shake windows and, in severe cases, risk damage to buildings. At present, airline operators need special authorisation from the FAA to fly faster than Mach 1, and that too only for research and testing over isolated areas. FAA chief Bryan Bedford said, "Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom." He added, "This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over US territory while minimising noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports."
Earlier this month, NASA demonstrated what it described as a "quiet" supersonic flight when the X-59 reached a top speed of 713 miles per hour, or Mach 1.1, at an altitude of 43,400 feet. NASA said the aircraft is designed to travel at supersonic speed while producing only a quiet thump instead of a loud sonic boom.
US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy said, "Restoring supersonic flight over land isn't just about speed, it's about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel." He added, "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." Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said, "For too long, outdated rules held back our engineers and manufacturers. Under President Trump's leadership, we are clearing the runway for supersonic flight, strengthening our industrial base, creating high-skilled jobs, and ensuring the future of aviation is invented and built in America." He added, "American ingenuity broke the sound barrier once before, and today's action ensures it will define the new Golden Age of Aviation."
Supersonic passenger travel is not new. Air France and British Airways operated Concorde, which flew at Mach 2 and crossed the Atlantic in about three-and-a-half hours. But it could fly at such speeds only over the ocean and had to slow to subsonic speed over land. Concorde services ended in 2003 because of high operating costs. Alongside NASA, US companies including Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are also developing supersonic aircraft and plan future transatlantic flights in under four hours. The latest US proposal seeks to reopen overland supersonic travel by replacing the old ban with modern noise standards.
With PTI Inputs
