Lawmakers Seek to End 52-Year Ban on Supersonic Flights Over Land

Supersonic speeds for nonmilitary flights have been outlawed since 1973 due to noise and property damage concerns.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 03:41 PM ET

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Edited By: Steve Spears

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 supersonic jet demonstrator takes off from the runway on March 22, 2025. [Courtesy: Boom Supersonic]

Key Takeaways:

Lawmakers have introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act to repeal the 50-year-old ban on most civilian supersonic flight over U.S. land.
The bill proposes allowing supersonic travel over land if no sonic booms reach the ground, citing new "quiet supersonic" technologies developed by American companies.
Supporters argue the change is crucial to foster aviation innovation, maintain U.S. competitiveness in the global aerospace industry, and support companies developing next-generation supersonic aircraft.

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A group of lawmakers in Congress is putting forward a bill that would undo much of the more than 50-year-old rule banning most supersonic flight over U.S. land.

The Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, introduced Wednesday by Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina and Representative Troy Nehls of Texas, would instruct the FAA to revise a 1973 statute prohibiting nonmilitary air travel that exceeds Mach 1 over land. The rule was introduced to limit sonic booms, which are not only loud but capable of damaging property on the ground below.

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.