FAA proposes replacing supersonic overland ban with noise-based standard

Since 1973, federal rules under 14 CFR 91.817 have barred civil aircraft from flying faster than sound over the United States. The prohibition followed public complaints about sonic booms from military testing in the 1960s. Concorde was limited to supersonic flight over water on its US services. In the 53 years since, no commercial supersonic flight has taken place over the continental United States.

The FAA has put forward a notice of proposed rulemaking, dated July 2, 2026, that would drop the speed-based restriction and replace it with a performance-based noise standard. Under the proposal, supersonic flight would be permitted when sonic boom overpressure measured at ground level does not exceed 0.11 pounds per square foot.