Overview
- The FAA published a proposed rule on June 30 that would remove the practical 1973 prohibition on civilian Mach‑1 flight over U.S. land and evaluate aircraft by measured ground-noise instead of top speed.
- Regulators said the proposal is the first of two steps, with a separate rule on takeoff and landing noise to follow later in 2026 and a target to finalize both rules by mid-2027.
- Officials cite recent technical advances as evidence, noting NASA’s X-59 test flights and flight techniques such as “Mach cutoff,” which use altitude, aircraft shape, and atmospheric refraction to keep shock waves from reaching the ground.
- U.S. startups and legacy carriers have expressed interest and some firms report pre‑orders, but companies still face major hurdles on engines, certification and route economics and any commercial timelines remain unconfirmed by regulators.
- The proposal responds to decades of community concern about sonic booms and the FAA says it will coordinate with ICAO, NASA and foreign regulators to align international standards before routine overland supersonic service is allowed.