The U.S. will lift a 50-year ban on supersonic flights
The United States is preparing to resume civilian supersonic flights, which have been banned for nearly half a century. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated that the decision has already been practically made, and the Federal Aviation Administration is finalizing the necessary procedures. This paves the way for the return of supersonic passenger airliners to the country’s airspace.
“The resumption of supersonic flights over land is not just about speed. It’s about unlocking America’s innovative potential and ushering in a new golden age of air travel,” said the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
According to the official, the FAA has taken a key step toward authorizing civilian supersonic flights over the continental United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated a review of one of aviation’s most well-known restrictions—the ban on civilian supersonic flights over land, which has been in effect since 1973.
Instead, the regulator proposes introducing new noise-based standards, which, combined with the latest developments in this field, pave the way for the return of supersonic passenger service.
Specific noise level requirements for the takeoff and landing of supersonic aircraft are scheduled to be released later this year. The development of the new rules is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
One of the key factors that will enable the return of supersonic passenger flights is the reduction of sonic boom noise.
To achieve this, a special flight mode is used, in which the aircraft’s design, altitude, speed, and atmospheric conditions are combined in such a way that the shock wave dissipates in the atmosphere without reaching the Earth’s surface or is significantly attenuated.
"This means that we will eventually be able to lift the ban on supersonic flights over U.S. territory, which was imposed back in the 1970s, while minimizing noise impact on residents in communities along flight paths and near airports,” says FAA Administrator Brian Bedford.
Supersonic Passenger Airplanes
The only supersonic passenger aircraft that operated scheduled flights were the European Concorde and the Soviet Tu-144. Both models were retired long ago because they proved too expensive to maintain and excessively noisy.
New aircraft will not have these drawbacks—as of today, the Americans are already testing their prototypes.
Specifically, this refers to the small X-59 QueSST, whose technology, according to NASA estimates, could form the basis for a new supersonic passenger airliner.
The main goal of the program is to prove that flying faster than the speed of sound is possible without a loud sonic boom, which usually sounds like an explosion. The X-59 itself is already conducting test flights at supersonic speeds.
Last year, the XB-1 experimental aircraft successfully completed its final test flight.
The completion of the scheduled test program opens the door for the American company Boom Technology to move on to the next stage—the creation of a full-scale prototype of the Overture supersonic passenger airliner, designed to carry 60–80 passengers.
At a stated cruising speed of Mach 1.7 (over 1,800 km/h), a flight from New York to London on such an aircraft would take about 3 hours and 40 minutes. By comparison, a direct flight between these cities currently takes about 7 hours.
The Overture’s maiden flight could take place by the end of the decade.
This was reported by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Navrotsky’s office announced U.S. approval for troops in Poland.
Navrotsky met with leaders from Romania and the Baltic states.
As a reminder, the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine (URC 2026) begins on Wednesday, June 24, in the Polish city of Gdańsk, bringing together a record number of international delegates and business representatives.
A large-scale international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, URC 2026, will take place in Gdańsk.
