Supersonic commercial travel could soon come to the United States, following a new executive order lifting a 52-year ban on commercial supersonic flights on land.
Supersonic flights could transcend the Atlantic, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned commercial supersonic flights on land in 1973 in response to public pressure on noise concerns. The new executive order issued on June 6th will prohibit timelines for the introduction of noise-based certification rules for supersonic flights and lift what to lay out.
The move could cut travel time between New York and Los Angeles in almost half, potentially reducing it from just 3.5 hours to just 3.5 hours.
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Before the ban, the US, France, the UK and the Soviet Union all pursued commercial applications of supersonic aviation technology. However, countries’ supersonic aircraft produced deafening window shattering sounds at the ground level.
Related: Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 breaks down healthy barriers – Becomes the first commercial aircraft to go to supersonic speed in US history
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union’s TU-144 design relied heavily on a large afterburner for aircraft to reach Mach 1 (767 mph, or 1,235 km/h).
Today, companies like Boom Supersonic create “boomless cruises” where aircraft exceed 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) and reach Mach 1, unable to produce ground level sounds. It is a phenomenon known as the Mach cutoff. The booming aircraft achieved this milestone in January 2025. This completed a test flight that advanced the Sonic Boom upwards and dissipated it before reaching the ground.
The boom faces competition between Lockheed Martin and his research partner NASA. The X-59 design places the aircraft’s engine on its fuselage, helping shock waves and resulting noise reach ground levels.
This technology’s regulatory timeline can be considered offensive. The new directive calls for the abolition of the ban on supersonic flights by December 3rd, establishing noise certification standards by December 6th, 2026, and enforcing the final regulations by June 6th, 2027.
In comparison, the creation of rules for the use of commercial drones has been from government duties to final implementation over four years.
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