US Moves to Bring Back Supersonic Flights Over Land With New FAA Noise Rules Designed to Prevent Sonic Booms

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has released the first of two major proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules that would pave the way for supersonic flight over the United States for the first time in more than 50 years. The move stems from Executive Order 14304, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, directing regulators to establish a modern noise‑based certification framework and repeal the 1970s-era ban on civil supersonic operations over land.

A New Regulatory Framework for a New Era of Speed

The proposed rule introduces a noise‑based certification standard requiring supersonic aircraft to prevent sonic booms from reaching the ground. This would replace the blanket prohibition imposed in 1973, when regulators lacked sufficient data to safely manage sonic boom impacts.

DOT says the change is essential to unlocking next‑generation aviation capabilities.

“Restoring supersonic flight over land isn’t just about speed  it’s about unleashing American innovation and spurring economic growth,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “We’re delivering exciting new travel options to the American flying public, and we’re ensuring people on the ground won’t be subject to excessive noise.”

Supersonic aircraft could cut travel times by half or more, enabling faster passenger travel and dramatically improving cargo logistics across the country.

Second Rule to Define Noise Thresholds

A companion rule  expected later this year will establish acceptable noise limits for takeoff, landing, and supersonic cruise. These thresholds will be based on:

• Community acceptability

• Economic reasonableness

• Technological feasibility

  
  

The FAA plans to finalize both rules by mid‑2027, giving manufacturers the regulatory clarity needed to complete aircraft designs and begin certification.

“Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “This means we can repeal the 1970s ban while ensuring minimal noise impacts to communities.”

A Longstanding Challenge

In 1947, U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles “Chuck” Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, igniting public fascination with high‑speed flight.

By the 1960s, the FAA launched the U.S. Supersonic Transport (SST) program, aiming to build a Mach 2+ passenger jet. But NASA’s sonic boom tests over St. Louis and Oklahoma City revealed significant noise and safety concerns — shaking buildings, cracking plaster, and shattering windows. Public backlash, rising costs, and slow development led to the SST program’s cancellation in 1971. Two years later, the FAA formally banned civil supersonic flight over land.

From Boom to Thump: New Technology Changes the Equation

Modern supersonic research focuses on eliminating the loud sonic boom and replacing it with a far quieter “sonic thump.” One technique, Mach cutoff, bends and refracts the shockwave back into the atmosphere, preventing it from reaching the ground.

In January 2025, Boom Supersonic demonstrated “Boomless Cruise” in its XB‑1 experimental jet, the first U.S.-built civil supersonic aircraft to break the sound barrier since the Concorde era.

NASA is also advancing quiet supersonic technology through its Quesst mission and the X‑59 research aircraft. The X‑59 achieved its first supersonic flight on June 5, 2026, producing a controlled sonic thump equivalent to a car door closing.

“When the first quiet supersonic flight is heard on the ground, that’s going to be an epic achievement,” said Peter Coen, NASA’s Quesst mission integration manager.

NASA will survey community responses to the X‑59’s noise signature and share the results with the FAA and international regulators to help define global standards.

Academic Partnerships Strengthen Research

Universities are also contributing through the FAA’s ASCENT program, including Penn State University, Georgia. Tech Research Institute, Stanford University and University of Illinois.

Their work focuses on sonic boom propagation, takeoff‑and‑landing noise, and community noise perception.

A New Supersonic Era Approaches

With DOT’s proposed rule now public and the second rule forthcoming, the United States is closer than ever to restoring supersonic travel over land.

“The future of civil supersonic travel is here,” said FAA official Julie Marks. “We’re excited to be partnering with U.S. and international colleagues to make it a reality.”

If finalized on schedule, the rules could usher in a new generation of American‑made supersonic aircraft  transforming travel, strengthening economic resilience, and reestablishing U.S. leadership in high‑speed aviation.