Jet Ban LIFTED – U.S. Skies Go BOOM!

President Trump has ordered the FAA to repeal a 50-year ban on overland supersonic flight, igniting a race to revive high-speed commercial aviation.

At a Glance

• President Trump signed an executive order lifting the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight.
• The FAA is directed to establish new noise standards to replace outdated regulations.
• Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 became the first privately developed jet to break the sound barrier.
• The order aims to reestablish U.S. leadership in aerospace innovation.
• Concerns remain over environmental impact and noise pollution from supersonic travel.

Breaking the Sound Barrier—Again

On June 6, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Federal Aviation Administration to repeal the 1973 ban on overland supersonic commercial flights. The prohibition, in place for more than five decades, had been enacted due to disruptive noise from sonic booms. The new directive orders the FAA to replace the outdated standards with modern noise regulations tailored to today’s technology.

The executive order declares that technological progress has rendered supersonic travel both safer and more sustainable. It aligns closely with emerging industry capabilities, especially those demonstrated by Boom Supersonic, whose XB-1 test aircraft recently became the first privately developed supersonic jet to break the sound barrier. According to the White House fact sheet, the goal is to reassert America’s leadership in high-speed aerospace technologies.

Watch a report: Trump Orders FAA to Remove Supersonic Flight Restrictions.

Industry Reaction and Future Prospects

Boom CEO Blake Scholl praised the executive order as a long-overdue correction, saying the ban had “crippled innovation” since the 1970s. Boom’s Overture airliner, designed to cruise at Mach 1.7, promises to cut New York-to-London flight times to just 3.5 hours. The aircraft is expected to enter commercial service by 2029 and has already attracted orders from major carriers including United and American Airlines.

The FAA must now develop a framework for new supersonic certification, balancing technical feasibility, cost efficiency, and public acceptability. Per the White House release, the executive order also tasks the National Science and Technology Council with coordinating related R&D efforts, indicating a federal commitment to accelerating private-sector innovation.

Despite optimism from industry stakeholders, the transition will not be without challenges. Community noise impact, operational safety, and route permissions all remain subject to scrutiny—especially with international airspace standards still under negotiation.

Environmental and Global Considerations

Environmental advocates have raised alarms over potential surges in fuel consumption and emissions linked to high-speed air travel. Although today’s supersonic jets use cleaner fuels and aerodynamic efficiencies, their environmental footprint remains significant. The White House directive attempts to address these issues by mandating that new standards consider environmental impact alongside economic benefits.

International competition is heating up. NASA is developing the X-59 QueSST, a quiet supersonic demonstrator designed to reduce sonic boom noise to a mere thump. Meanwhile, China’s COMAC is advancing a rival program aimed at penetrating future global markets. As the FAA redefines U.S. policy, global aviation regulators will watch closely to see how noise, safety, and environmental concerns are resolved in practice.

For now, the U.S. aerospace industry is at an inflection point. The return of supersonic flight—once thought a relic of the Concorde era—could transform air travel. But its success will hinge on harmonizing technological progress with public trust and international cooperation.