U.S. DOT and FAA propose rules to replace 1973 ban on overland supersonic flights

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on June 30 that the Federal Aviation Administration is moving to end the longstanding ban on civilian supersonic flights over land, proposing a regulatory approach that would allow aircraft to exceed the speed of sound over the continental United States provided they do not produce a sonic boom. Reporting on the proposal says the FAA is pursuing a noise-centered certification standard as a first step in replacing the more than 50-year prohibition.

According to coverage of the DOT announcement, the FAA’s proposed rule would set noise-based criteria for supersonic aircraft to address the sonic boom issue that led to the ban when supersonic passenger flights were not commercially feasible over land. The approach would shift the focus from a blanket speed restriction to measurable aircraft noise performance, which regulators can apply through certification standards.

Additional reporting says the FAA has indicated it will propose a separate rule later this year covering landing and takeoff noise standards for supersonic aircraft. Taken together, the two-rule sequence is described as intended to give manufacturers clearer guidance about what design targets they would need to meet in order to pursue civilian aircraft capable of routine supersonic flight over U.S. territory.

In the administration’s messaging reported by Fox Business, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the regulatory effort is intended to safely enable a new phase of aviation technology. The same reporting credits President Donald Trump’s leadership in framing the effort as moving quickly to allow a “quantum leap” in travel, while emphasizing that the FAA would proceed through rulemaking and safety-focused standards.

Industry coverage cited by multiple outlets links the FAA’s regulatory direction to ongoing development of “boomless” or low-boom concepts. That reporting points to the practical effect of the proposed standards: once the rules are finalized, aircraft makers could design to the FAA’s requirements and seek certification under a framework designed to manage overland sound impacts rather than prohibit supersonic speeds outright.

Supporters of lifting the overland ban have long argued that advancing noise mitigation can remove the policy barrier that dated back to the early era of commercial supersonic flight. Critics and affected communities have raised concerns that even limited sonic booms or aircraft noise could affect neighborhoods and airports, which is why the FAA’s noise criteria, certification process, and enforcement mechanisms are central to how any new capability would operate in practice.

If the FAA proceeds as outlined, the timeline would move from proposed standards to final rules through the notice-and-comment process. The change would not be automatic for all supersonic aircraft, because the practical ability to operate above Mach 1 over land would depend on meeting the FAA’s certification and operating requirements as they are established in the proposed and subsequent rulemaking.