“I’m surprised the FAA is proposing such a weak rule,” Rutherford told the publication.
US lawmakers in Congress are also pushing it Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act. It would require the FAA to allow supersonic flights over land “as long as the aircraft is operated in such a way that no sonic boom reaches the ground in the United States.” The bill passed the House of Representatives on March 24, 2026, and is still awaiting a vote in the Senate.
Another way to fly silently
Meanwhile, a different approach to quieter supersonic flight is being tested with NASA Lockheed Martin X-59 Quest— a needle nose experimental aircraft with an airframe designed to reduce the typical sonic boom to a sonic boom. NASA relies on perceived decibel levels (PldB) to estimate sound levels, aiming to consistently demonstrate sonic booms around 75 PldB, similar to a car door slamming, about 20 feet away.
NASA’s test pilot and mission integration manager previously told Ars that the X-59 aircraft future supersonic flight tests will provide community feedback on perceived noise levels over US cities and towns nationwide that can help inform regulations by civil aviation authorities.
The FAA still has time to further refine its proposed noise rules for supersonic flights before trying to finalize them by mid-2027. The agency also plans to propose another rule later this year that would set takeoff and landing noise standards for supersonic aircraft.
Legalizing quieter ground-based supersonic flight does not guarantee a successful return of commercial supersonic aircraft. The Concorde supersonic plane It cut transatlantic flights between New York and London from seven hours to three hours, but the plane’s huge fuel consumption made it difficult to maintain profitable operations—never mind recouping more than $2.8 billion. development costs It was shared by the British and French governments.
Boom Supersonic evolves A supersonic plane called the Overture With the goal of delivering the first aircraft to customers by 2029. The company has signed commercial agreements with American Airlines, Japan Airlines and United Airlines that allow the companies to purchase the Overture aircraft.
But Boom has also drifted away from its main goal in recent months manufactures natural gas turbines to power AI data centers. Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom offered Revenue from this spin-off will help Overture pay for its supersonic airline development costs. At the same time, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said this Gives Boom a “50/50” chance to fly his supersonic plane.
