Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order on June 6 instructing the FAA to remove the decades-old prohibition on overland supersonic flights within 180 days and to set a noise-based certification framework.
• Boom Supersonic’s Overture airliner, designed to cruise at Mach 1.7 with 64–80 seats, has secured advance orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.
• In January, Boom’s XB-1 demonstrator achieved three supersonic flights without generating audible sonic booms using its “boomless cruise” technology.
• NASA’s X-59 program and private firms such as Hermeus and Venus Aerospace are also developing quieter supersonic or hypersonic aircraft ahead of commercial service.
• Environmental analysts warn that higher fuel burn rates and limited supplies of sustainable aviation fuel could pose economic and emissions challenges for widespread supersonic operations.