The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would set standards for supersonic travel across the country, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
The proposed rule sets a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft. This moves supersonic travel one step closer to safe operations across the country, Duffy said. The FAA plans to propose another rule later this year that would establish landing and takeoff noise standards for supersonic aircraft. The rulemaking will give manufacturers guidance for their supersonic planes and bring innovations that allow supersonic travel without a sonic boom to operation in the U.S.
“Restoring supersonic flight over land isn’t just about speed, it’s about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel,” Duffy said. “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.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation said aircraft flying at supersonic speeds–Mach 1 and above–are traveling approximately 770+ miles per hour, more than 100 miles an hour faster than commercial airlines. Enabling supersonic travel, however, means reducing the noise experienced by sonic booms. One way to achieve this is by combining the aircraft design, atmospheric conditions, speed and altitude in a flight technique called Mach cutoff that ensures the sonic boom bends and refracts back into the atmosphere to reduce its impact at ground level.
The FAA said it is collaborating with the International Civil Aviation Organization, NASA, Industry, and academic institutions and applying their research to inform supersonic noise standards.
“Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over U.S. territory while minimizing noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports.”
The FAA aims to finalize both rules by mid-2027.