The US could launch supersonic commercial flights in 2027

The United States plans to lift a ban on supersonic commercial flights, which has been in effect for 52 years due to citizen complaints about noise, Space reports.

Supersonic flights are permitted over the Atlantic, but have been banned from the US since 1973 in response to public pressure over noise. A new order, issued on June 6, 2025, aims to repeal that ban and establish new rules.

The United States must establish new noise certification standards by December 6, 2026, and final rules must be implemented by June 6, 2027.

If these changes result in the resumption of supersonic commercial flights in the US, the flight between New York and Los Angeles will take just 3.5 hours instead of the usual 6.

There are currently several companies, such as Boom Supersonic, that are building aircraft that can fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet and reach speeds of Mach 1 without making any noise at ground level—a phenomenon known as Mach cutoff.

The Boom aircraft achieved this result in January 2025. During the tests, it was successfully able to push sonic booms upward, which allowed them to be dispersed before they reached the ground.

Other companies like Lockheed Martin are also working with NASA on the X-59 aircraft, which places the aircraft's engines on top of the fuselage, which helps limit shock waves and the noise they cause.