WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on June 30 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking a pivotal step toward enabling civil supersonic flights over the continental United States after massive innovations in supersonic technology which will make it possible to safely operate supersonic aircraft without a sonic boom. When operational, next-gen supersonic planes will drastically reduce travel times–enabling faster movement of people and goods.
“Restoring supersonic flight over land isn’t just about speed, it’s about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “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 proposed rule, “Enabling Supersonic Overland Flight” (Docket FAA-2026-6935, Notice No. 26-07, RIN 2120-AM15), sets a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft. In addition to this first rule, the FAA plans to propose another rule later this year, establishing landing and takeoff noise standards for supersonic aircraft. Together, these actions will give manufacturers the guidance they need to finalize their designs and bring these exciting innovations online.
The proposed rule directly implements Executive Order 14304, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, which also calls for the FAA to secure aviation safety agreements with foreign aviation authorities for the safe international operation of supersonic aircraft.
One key to enabling supersonic travel is reducing the noise experienced by sonic booms. One means of achieving this is 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.
Aircraft flying at supersonic speeds of Mach 1 and above, travel approximately 770+ miles per hour, well above the 550 to 600 miles per hour commercial airline speeds.
The FAA is collaborating with the International Civil Aviation Organization, NASA, Industry, and academic institutions and applying their research to inform supersonic noise standards.
“This is how America wins—by moving at the speed of our innovators,” said Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios. “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. American ingenuity broke the sound barrier once before, and today’s action ensures it will define the new Golden Age of Aviation.”
Boom Supersonic has already begun flight tests for their Overture supersonic aircraft that would enable oceanic flight between New York and London within three and half hours.
“Until the middle of the twentieth century, people could expect continued innovation in travel speeds. Railroads, steamships, piston-powered airliners, and jets each represented a significant improvement in how we got around. But in 2021, we’re flying no faster than we were in 1960,” Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic said. “With Overture, three-day business trips could be done in just one day—you could attend meetings across an ocean and be home in time to tuck your children into bed.”
In a 2021 interview, Rep. Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the Lynnwood Times there are companies in Washington State that are partnering with supersonic aircraft developers to establish noise standards in preparation for future continental supersonic air travel.
Author: Mario Lotmore
