● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact
FAA proposes new rule for supersonic flights over US cities with noise limits
Key points
- FAA proposed a rule to allow supersonic flights over cities.
- Supersonic aircraft must keep sonic booms below 0.11 pounds of pressure.
- New standard follows executive order from Trump administration.
Proposed Rule Change
The FAA is proposing to overturn a long-standing ban on commercial supersonic flights over the United States. This proposal aims to allow the potential return of supersonic airliners, contingent on reducing the ground-level impacts of sonic booms.
Background of the Ban
The original ban on overland supersonic flights was established in 1973, following military tests that took place over US cities. The ban was meant to address concerns over disruptive sonic booms that could affect urban populations.
New Noise-Based Certification Standard
The proposed rule introduces an interim certification standard aimed at limiting sonic boom overpressure to below 0.11 pounds per square foot. This standard is based on demonstrations by Boom Supersonic's XB-1 aircraft, which successfully achieved quiet Mach cutoff flights under specific conditions.
Comparison with Historical Supersonic Flights
The Concorde, which operated from 1976 to 2003, produced a sonic boom overpressure of 1.94 pounds per square foot. The proposed rule represents a significant reduction in acceptable sonic boom levels, reflecting advancements in aircraft technology and noise mitigation strategies.
Skepticism Over Proposed Standards
Some experts, including Dan Rutherford from the International Council on Clean Transportation, express concerns about the effectiveness of the proposed overpressure metric. It was previously dismissed by UN experts for not accurately measuring loudness or public annoyance.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The FAA has proposed a new rule allowing commercial supersonic flights over US cities if sonic boom impacts are minimized. This change, driven by a push for supersonic air travel, would replace a 1973 ban with a new noise-based certification standard.