FAA proposal: Supersonic airliners can fly over US cities if they’re quiet
- On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration published a proposed rule to replace the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flights with a noise-based standard, permitting faster-than-sound aircraft if sonic boom overpressure does not exceed 0.11 pound per square foot.
- The 1973 prohibition was enacted after public outcry regarding sonic booms, particularly from farmers and environmentalists, effectively freezing out commercial supersonic aircraft like the Concorde from U.S. airspace.
- NASA is testing the Lockheed Martin X-59, a needle-nosed experimental aircraft designed to reduce sonic booms to a "sonic thump." The agency plans a nationwide tour to gather community feedback on sound levels informing future civil aviation regulations.
- Despite regulatory progress, Boom Supersonic faces widespread skepticism, with CEO Blake Scholl acknowledging, "There are still a lot of people in the industry that just don't believe it." The company recently pivoted toward powering AI data centers to fund Overture development.
- The FAA aims to finalize noise regulations by mid-2027, while Boom targets 2029 for Overture deliveries. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby recently gave the project a "50/50" chance of reaching commercial service, signaling persistent uncertainty.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Ars Technica
online-listing.comFAA proposal: Supersonic airliners can fly over US cities if they’re quiet
New US rules would legalize quiet supersonic flights without the sonic boom.
The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) proposed this Tuesday the first rule that can end the 53-year ban on supersonic flights in the American airspace. The measure exchanges the current criterion, based purely on the speed of the aircraft, with a noise parameter. Any plane can break the sound barrier over the American territory provided that the sound crash does not exceed the equivalent of the noise of a distant thunder…
The American sky has not experienced any commercial supersonic flight since the retreat of the Concorde. A restriction that was explained by the vacarm left on the ground by the aircraft during the crossing of the sound wall, which the air authorities say they are ready to abandon.
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