US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that would allow for commercial supersonic flights over land in the US.
The June 6 order, which directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to repeal the supersonic speed limit as long as the aircraft does not produce an audible sonic boom, will effectively lift the 52-year ban on civil supersonic flights in the US.
The order calls for the FAA to set a standard for supersonic aircraft noise within 18 months that considers community acceptability, economic reasonableness and technological feasibility.
Boom Supersonic is one of the US-based companies developing “low boom” supersonic technology. It has created a ‘Boomless Cruise mode’ which enables speeds of up to Mach 1,3 over land.
In a press release, Boom Supersonic said that with Boomless Cruise, a flight from Los Angeles to Washington DC is three hours and 15 minutes instead of four hours and 35 minutes, and a flight from Miami to Seattle is only three hours and 40 minutes compared with five hours and 15 minutes.
“We’re closer to supersonic flight than you think. Once the ban is lifted, we can unleash the full power of American innovation and make flying at supersonic speed the norm, not the exception. Thanks to the leadership of key aviation policy lawmakers, we are one step closer to making this happen,” Boom Supersonic said.
