Office of Environment and Energy

2120-AM15 202504 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 2120 Federal Aviation Administration FAA 2100 Department of Transportation DOT Enabling Supersonic Overland Flight

In response to an Executive Order signed by President Trump on June 6, 2025, titled Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, this rule repeals the general prohibition on overland supersonic flight in 14 CFR 91.817, establishes an interim noise-based certification standard, and makes any modifications to 14 CFR 91.818 as necessary.

]]> Other Significant First Time Published in The Unified Agenda Proposed Rule Stage No No Deregulatory 47 CFR 91.817 47 CFR 91.818 49 U.S. Code 106 49 U.S. Code 44715 No NPRM 12/00/2025 As noted in the Executive Order, the United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation and the prohibition on overland supersonic flight creates an unreasonable and unnecessary burden on industry. This overland flight ban was established in 1973 to specifically address public complaints about the loud sonic boom created by the Concorde when flying faster than Mach 1. Those sonic booms were known to shake buildings and damage fragile materials like plaster, tiles, and glass. Since the ban was established, research by government and industry on low-boom aircraft designs and phenomenon such as Mach cutoff operations have demonstrated that it is possible to fly above Mach 1 and prevent sonic boom from supersonic aircraft from reaching the surface in certain circumstances. Repealing the overland flight ban is critical to enable the continued development and eventual commencement of supersonic flight in the United States. As noted in the Executive Order: "By updating obsolete standards and embracing the technologies of today and tomorrow, we will empower our engineers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to deliver the next generation of air travel, which will be faster, quieter, safer, and more efficient than ever before." While this rule would repeal the general supersonic overland flight ban, it would also establish an interim noise-based certification standard that prohibits such flights from creating a sonic boom that reaches the ground. This standard is consistent with the requirements in the Executive Order. No No None No No No No Sandy Liu Office of Environment and Energy 2120 Federal Aviation Administration FAA 202 267-4748 sandy.liu@faa.gov 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20591