FAA Takes First Steps to Repeal Supersonic Flight Ban

Proposed interim standards mark the agency’s first major step to undo the decades-old ban.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 03:45 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

NASA is exploring the reduction of sonic booms to a quieter 'thump' using its experimental X-59. [Credit: Lockheed Martin]

Key Takeaways:

Federal regulators have initiated the process to repeal the 53-year-old ban on civil supersonic flight over the continental U.S., citing advancements in technology that mitigate sonic booms.
The proposed rule replaces the ban with interim, noise-based certification standards, requiring aircraft to produce less than 0.11 pounds per square foot (psf) of sonic boom overpressure at surface level.
This regulatory change is expected to open U.S. airspace to "safe, efficient, and commercially viable" civil supersonic flight, allowing companies like Boom Supersonic to proceed with testing and future commercial operations without special authorizations.
Further regulatory steps are planned, including setting noise limits for takeoff and landing and establishing international safety agreements, with full standards aimed for mid-2027.

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Federal regulators on Tuesday took the first step in repealing the 53-year-old ban on civil supersonic flight over the continental U.S.

The FAA established the limitation in 1973 to protect the public from sonic booms. It has faced significant pressure from Congress and the White House to reverse it, citing advancements in technology. In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published Tuesday, the regulator said it agrees with the ban’s detractors that the provision is “outdated and no longer appropriate.”