A group of lawmakers in Congress is putting forward a bill that would undo much of the more than 50-year-old rule banning most supersonic flight over U.S. land.
The Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, introduced Wednesday by Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina and Representative Troy Nehls of Texas, would instruct the FAA to revise a 1973 statute prohibiting nonmilitary air travel that exceeds Mach 1 over land. The rule was introduced to limit sonic booms, which are not only loud but capable of damaging property on the ground below.
The proposed bill would allow civilian aircraft to travel at Mach 1 and faster provided no sonic booms reach the ground. Its supporters said American companies have already developed “quiet supersonic” technology that makes the current ban irrelevant.
“The United States is home to many groundbreaking innovations and should welcome these innovations so long as public safety isn’t threatened,” Nehls said in a statement. “Our nation’s laws and regulations should encourage these innovations and uplift companies that are leading in industries, including the aviation industry.”
Budd said the change would help make the U.S. aviation industry competitive against international rivals.
“The race for supersonic dominance between the U.S. and China is already underway and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” he said. “To maintain our global leadership in aerospace innovation, we must modernize air travel by lifting the outdated ban on civil supersonic flight.”
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The only supersonic civilian aircraft to see service were the British-French Concorde and the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, and both have been retired for over 20 years. Interest in the technology has made a comeback, however, and several private companies are now in the process of developing commercial airliners capable of supersonic flight.
In January, Colorado-based Boom Supersonic broke the sound barrier with its XB-1 demonstration aircraft. The XB-1 is the first American-made civilian jet to travel faster than the speed of sound.
Boom Supersonic is currently developing a supersonic airliner called Overture, which the company hopes to make operational by the end of the decade.
Under current regulations, only military aircraft can exceed the sound barrier over U.S. land, and even then, they are limited to areas with relatively few people. If the new bill passes Congress and is signed into law, the FAA would have one year to rewrite that statute.
Some industry figures have spoken out in favor of the proposed rule change, including Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl and Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association.
“The world is in a race to develop revolutionary transportation technologies, and this commonsense approach fosters an environment where supersonic technology can thrive while maintaining the highest levels of safety,” Bolen said.
The Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act is cosponsored by Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah, and Tim Sheehy of Montana, together with Representative Sharice Davids of Kansas.
