President Trump is boosting supersonic aviation in the United States.
The commander in chief signed an executive order on Friday instructing the Federal Aviation Administration to lift a 1973 regulation that bans supersonic flight over land. This directive also calls for the establishment of new noise standards for aircraft and aims to eliminate other obstacles hindering the progress of high-speed plane development.
“The United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation,” the president wrote in the order.
“Outdated and overly strict regulations have, for over 50 years, prevented the realization of supersonic flight over land. This has stifled American innovation, reduced our global competitiveness, and allowed foreign adversaries to take the lead,” the statement said.
Trump asserted that with current advancements in engineering and technology, supersonic air travel is now “not only feasible but also safe, sustainable, and economically viable.”
“This order begins a historic national effort to reestablish the United States as the undisputed leader in high-speed aviation,” the president declared. “By updating obsolete standards and embracing the technologies of today and tomorrow, we will empower our engineers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to deliver the next generation of air travel, which will be faster, quieter, safer, and more efficient than ever before.”
Under current FAA rules, only military aircraft – flying in specially designated areas – are allowed to break the sound barrier over land.
The 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight was primarily due to the disruptive impact of the sonic booms produced when aircraft exceed the speed of sound.
However, new technology has enabled one aircraft maker, Boom Supersonic, to develop a plane that can cruise above Mach 1 without emitting a sonic boom.
“Supersonic is back, baby!” Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl wrote on X, noting that in January, his company’s XB-1 aircraft became the first privately developed supersonic jet to break the sound barrier.
“And today…[Trump] broke the sound barrier…permanently!” he added.
Scholl argued that the ban on supersonic flight has “crippled progress” in aviation for half a century, but with Trump’s order in place, “The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin.”
“By removing decades-old regulatory barriers and promoting cutting-edge supersonic technology, President Trump is Making Aviation Great Again,” the White House said in a statement.
