Government May Start Allowing Supersonic Flight Over Land
The Federal Aviation Administration is working toward scrapping its ban on overland supersonic travel, which would lead to significantly reduced flight times across the country.
The agency pointed in a June 30 press release to new technological innovations that allow for aircraft to operate without a sonic boom.
A new proposed rule from the FAA would set “a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft,” with a forthcoming rule handling noise levels at takeoff and landing.
Both are slated to be finalized by the middle of 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 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 FUTURE OF FLIGHT IS TAKING OFF. ✈️@SecDuffy just announced HUGE news in bringing supersonic flights to America’s skies. The Golden Age of travel is here! pic.twitter.com/e1bJtsSwXH
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 30, 2026
A post from the White House noted that supersonic air travel would cut flight times “nearly in half,” such as by reducing the trip between New York and Los Angeles from 5.5 hours to 3 hours.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford noted that “advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom.”
“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.”
While commercial airliners usually fly between 550 and 600 miles per hour, aircraft flying at supersonic speed surpass 770 miles per hour.
The FAA noted that one means of reducing the noise from sonic booms involves “using a flight technique called Mach cutoff where the aircraft design, atmospheric conditions, speed, and altitude work in combination to ensure the sonic boom bends and refracts back into the atmosphere, significantly reducing its ground-level impact.”
The New York Post reported that companies like Boom Supersonic and many other manufacturers are working on commercial supersonic planes.
Boom Supersonic — which has designed planes that will carry between 60 and 80 passengers — has orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios said in the FAA news release that “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.”
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