FAA Moves to Lift 53-Year-Old Ban on Supersonic Flights Over Land

For the first time in half a century, the FAA is ready to lift a ban that has kept commercial supersonic jets from cruising over U.S. land. On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, Administrator Bryan Bedford signed a notice of proposed rulemaking that would replace the 1973 prohibition with a noise‑based standard. Under the new rule, operators could fly faster than Mach 1 over the United States if the sonic boom that reaches the ground does not exceed 0.11 pounds per square foot.

The proposal flips a blanket speed limit into a performance‑based threshold. Rather than outlawing any supersonic flight above ground, the FAA wants to allow aircraft that can keep the ground‑level overpressure below the 0.11‑pounds‑per‑square‑foot mark. The idea is to let designers employ a technique called Mach cutoff—where altitude, speed, and atmospheric conditions bend the sonic boom upward and back into the sky—so that the boom never hits the earth.

Evidence for the feasibility of this approach comes from recent demonstrations. In February 2025, Boom Supersonic’s XB‑1 demonstrator completed a “boomless cruise” flight, showing that the aircraft could fly at supersonic speeds while keeping ground overpressure under the proposed threshold. NASA’s flight research, which ran parallel to the XB‑1 test, also confirmed that the Mach‑cutoff technique can achieve the same effect.

The rule only covers en‑route cruise noise. Separate standards for takeoff and landing still need to be drafted before a manufacturer can certify a supersonic airliner for commercial service. The FAA plans to propose those additional rules later in 2026 and aims to finalize both sets of regulations by mid‑2027.

The move follows a clear chain of policy momentum. Executive Order 14304, signed in June 2025, directed the FAA to lift the overland ban. In March 2026, the House passed the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, instructing the FAA to allow overland supersonic flights that do not produce a surface‑level boom. The bill is now waiting in the Senate.

The FAA has already shown it is willing to test the new framework. In 2024, Boom Supersonic received special flight authorizations for its XB‑1 demonstrator, and in 2026 Hermeus was cleared to test its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1. These authorizations demonstrate that the agency is ready to evaluate supersonic aircraft under the proposed noise‑based rules.

If adopted, the new standard would remove a regulatory hurdle that has stalled the development of next‑generation supersonic airliners. It would give manufacturers a clear target—0.11 pounds per square foot—to design around, potentially opening the door to commercial supersonic service over land in the future.

The rulemaking is still in its infancy. Stakeholders—including industry groups, environmental NGOs, and local communities—will have the chance to submit comments during the public comment period. The FAA will review these inputs before moving forward.

In short, the FAA’s proposed noise rule would replace a 53‑year‑old speed ban with a 0.11‑pounds‑per‑square‑foot sonic‑boom limit, allowing supersonic aircraft to fly over land if they can keep ground‑level overpressure below that threshold. The proposal is part of a broader effort, backed by recent legislation and executive action, to modernize civil supersonic aviation in the United States.