Trump lifts longstanding ban on supersonic flights over US
What's the story
President Donald Trump has initiated the process to lift the 52-year-old ban on supersonic flights over the continental US.
The decision comes as part of an executive order signed by Trump, directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to revoke a regulation that prohibited civilian aircraft from flying at speeds greater than Mach 1.
The original ban was imposed in April 1973 due to concerns over disruptive noise from supersonic jets.
Aviation revolution
Revolutionizing supersonic aviation
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said Trump's order "seeks to revolutionize supersonic aviation in the United States."
He emphasized that advancements in aerospace engineering and noise reduction by new start-ups working on faster-than-sound passenger aircraft can make supersonic travel "safe, sustainable, and commercially viable."
Kratsios also noted that the long-standing American ban on such flights had "grounded supersonic passenger flight and weakened our global competitiveness in aviation."
Regulatory changes
Order to create noise-based certification standards
Trump's executive order directs the FAA to repeal the ban within 180 days and start a notice-and-comment period for replacement regulations.
These new rules would be based on a noise standard rather than a strict speed limit.
The process will be coordinated through the White House and the National Science and Technology Council.
It will be based on research at NASA, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies.
Test flight
Boom Supersonic's recent test flight
Trump's push for supersonic flights comes after Boom Supersonic's XB-1 aircraft successfully flew at Mach 1.122 during a 34-minute flight over California's Mojave Desert in January.
The test flight produced no audible sonic boom, paving the way for commercial supersonic travel.
Boom Supersonic plans to launch its Overture passenger jet, which will cut travel time from Los Angeles to Washington to three hours and 15 minutes (over an hour than current duration) while producing no sonic booms audible from ground.
Information
Two additional executive orders focused on aviation
Trump also signed two additional executive orders focused on the future of aviation: one to accelerate drone commercialization and the development of electric vertical takeoff vehicles, and another to create a federal task force on drone flight restrictions.