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

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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:

The FAA has begun the process of repealing the 53-year-old ban on civil supersonic flight over the continental U.S., deeming the restriction "outdated" due to advancements in aerospace technology.
The proposed rule replaces the ban with interim noise-based certification standards, requiring supersonic aircraft to produce less than 0.11 pounds per square foot (psf) of sonic boom overpressure to fly over land without special authorization.
This action is the first step in a multi-step regulatory process aimed at opening U.S. airspace for commercially viable supersonic travel, with further proposals expected for takeoff/landing noise limits and international agreements.

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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rulemaking (NPRM) published Tuesday, the regulator said it agrees with the ban’s detractors that the provision is “outdated and no longer appropriate.”