in effect
Executive Order 14304, signed June 6, 2025, directs federal agencies to remove longstanding U.S. regulations that ban commercial supersonic flight over land and to replace them with new noise-based standards. It also coordinates government research into supersonic technology and initiates international diplomatic efforts to align global aviation rules.
The FAA must repeal 14 CFR 91.817, the rule prohibiting overland supersonic flight, within 180 days (by early December 2025) and put interim noise-based certification standards in place. Two additional regulations — 14 CFR 91.819 and 91.821, which create further barriers to supersonic aircraft development — must also be repealed immediately. Within 18 months the FAA must publish a proposed rule setting specific noise limits for supersonic takeoff, landing, and cruise flight, with a final rule required within 24 months. The Office of Science and Technology Policy must coordinate government-wide supersonic research and feed data to the FAA to support those new standards. The Department of Transportation and FAA must also pursue agreements with the International Civil Aviation Organization and foreign governments to create compatible international rules.
U.S. aerospace companies and entrepreneurs developing supersonic aircraft gain a legal path to test and eventually operate those planes over the continental United States, which was previously prohibited. Communities near flight paths will be subject to whatever noise thresholds the FAA ultimately sets through the rulemaking process. International airlines and foreign aviation authorities will be engaged through diplomatic channels as the U.S. seeks to build compatible global standards.