Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration
This proposal would advance the United States' leadership in next-generation aviation by replacing the longstanding prohibition on civil supersonic flight over land with a modern, performance-based regulatory framework. Consistent with national policy set forth by the Executive Order of June 6, 2025, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, this action would enable the safe, efficient, and commercially viable operation of civil supersonic aircraft in the United States. Current regulations prohibit flight operations of civil aircraft at a true flight Mach number greater than 1 in the U.S., except under the conditions and limitations of an operation-specific authorization from the Administrator, to protect the public from sonic boom. FAA has determined the general ban on civil supersonic flight is outdated and no longer appropriate due to advancements in technology, flight techniques that prevent sonic booms from reaching the surface, and increased interest in civil supersonic flight. FAA proposes to repeal this outdated and unnecessary prohibition and establish a corresponding interim noise-based certification standard to allow supersonic flights without an operation-specific special authorization clearing the way for next-generation supersonic flight. This rule removes regulatory barriers, provides clear pathways for testing and early commercial operations, and positions the United States to serve as the leader in setting global standards for supersonic flight. These actions will ensure that the United States leads the world in the safe, lawful, and rapid development and deployment of next-generation supersonic aviation.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Parts 1 and 91 [Docket No.: FAA-2026-6935; Notice No. 26-07] RIN 2120-AM15 AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). SUMMARY: This proposal would advance the United States' leadership in next-generation aviation by replacing the longstanding prohibition on civil supersonic flight over land with a modern, performance-based regulatory framework. Consistent with national policy set forth by the Executive Order of June 6, 2025, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, this action would enable the safe, efficient, and commercially viable operation of civil supersonic aircraft in the United States. Current regulations prohibit flight operations of civil aircraft at a true flight Mach number greater than 1 in the U.S., except under the conditions and limitations of an operation-specific authorization from the Administrator, to protect the public from sonic boom. FAA has determined the general ban on civil supersonic flight is outdated and no longer appropriate due to advancements in technology, flight techniques that prevent sonic booms from reaching the surface, and increased interest in civil supersonic flight. FAA proposes to repeal this outdated and unnecessary prohibition and establish a corresponding interim noise-based certification standard to allow supersonic flights without an operation-specific special authorization clea…
Citation: 91 FR 40470
