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President Trump is aiming to usher in a new era of supersonic aviation.
In an Executive Order issued on Friday, President Trump directed the Federal Aviation Administration to overturn a 1973 law preventing supersonic flight over land and to put in place a new regulatory framework for supersonic flight, including new noise standards.
“The United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation,” the president wrote in the Order.
“For more than 50 years, outdated and overly restrictive regulations have grounded the promise of supersonic flight over land, stifling American ingenuity, weakening our global competitiveness, and ceding leadership to foreign adversaries.”
The order states that supersonic travel is now “not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.”
“This order begins a historic national effort to reestablish the United States as the undisputed leader in high-speed aviation,” the Order continues.
“By updating obsolete standards and embracing the technologies of today and tomorrow, we will empower our engineers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to deliver the next generation of air travel, which will be faster, quieter, safer, and more efficient than ever before.”
Current FAA rules allow only military craft in specially designated areas to break the sound barrier over land.
New technology allows supersonic aircraft to avoid producing a loud sonic boom.
The announcement was greeted with jubilation by aerospace enthusiasts and industry figures, including Boom Supersonic founder Blake Scholl, who said the supersonic flight ban had “crippled progress” in aviation for 50 years.
“The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin,” he said.
