Here’s what we know about the administration’s big move to bring supersonic travel back to the United States. He signed an executive order that undoes a 52-year-long ban on supersonic flight over U.S. soil. Immediately on a Friday, the Trump Administration acted. This development was a game changing moment for the aviation industry and breathed new life into dreams of high-speed air travel.
This regulatory ban on a boom that’s been in place since the time Jesus Christ Superstar was a brand new Broadway musical has stymied progress in supersonic technology. With this policy shift, the Trump administration aims to allow commercial flights that could transport passengers from New York to Los Angeles in under four hours. This ambitious climate goal is indicative of a much larger picture as the U.S. reimagines a future of domestic air travel.
Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, emphasized the importance of this initiative. He stated that “the reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to LA in under four hours.” In just a few sentences, this emphasizes the administration’s overall commitment to making travel more efficient for all Americans.
Boom Supersonic, the most prominent company developing any type of supersonic aircraft, has been at the head of this push. The company burst onto the scene earlier this year after their XB-1 demonstrator made headlines. It achieved this feat, becoming the first privately-developed civil aircraft to achieve supersonic flight over the continental U.S. in January. The company foresees its flagship aircraft, Overture, transforming air travel by cutting long-haul flight times in half or more.
In response to the executive order, Boom CEO Blake Scholl expressed his enthusiasm with a simple yet impactful comment: “Booooom! The sound barrier was never physical — it was regulatory. With supersonic legalized, the return of supersonic passenger air travel is just a matter of time.” This brief statement goes a long way in summing up Boom’s rosy view on the future of supersonic travel.
In 2018, President Trump followed through on that vision by lifting the ban on supersonic flights. He signed two other executive orders to transform the future of aviation. One of the orders focuses on drone commercialization, including the development and production of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. A third order establishes a federal task force to address barriers to the flight of drones.
Taken together, these executive orders seek to paint the Trump administration as an agent of cutting-edge innovation in air travel. Regulatory barriers holding back innovation will be removed. A new era of faster, cleaner, and quieter air travel in America is being ushered in by this exciting initiative.