Data / Federal rules / 2026-13440

Enabling Supersonic Overland Flight

The Federal Aviation Administration published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on July 2, 2026. Comments closed on August 17, 2026.

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What the agency says

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 FAA has determined the general ban on civil supersonic flight is outdated and no longer appropriate due to advancements in technology, flight techniques that prevent sonic booms from reaching the surface, and increased interest in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 FAA proposes to repeal this outdated and unnecessary prohibition and establish a corresponding interim noise-based certification standard to allow supersonic flights without an operation-specific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.

Key facts

Document number

2026-13440

Type

Proposed rule

Action

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

Agency

Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration

Published

July 2, 2026

Comments due

August 17, 2026

Dates

Send comments on or before August 17, 2026.

Docket

Docket No.: FAA-2026-6935; Notice No. 26-07

Regulation ID (RIN)

2120-AM15

Code of Federal Regulations

14 CFR 1; 14 CFR 91

Topics

Afghanistan; Agriculture; Air carriers; Air taxis; Air traffic control; Air transportation; Aircraft; Airmen; Airports; Alaska; Aviation safety; Canada; Charter flights; Cuba; Drug traffic control; Ethiopia; Freight; Iran; Iraq; Libya; Mexico; Noise control; North Korea; Political candidates; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Security measures; Somalia; Syria; Transportation; Yemen; Yugoslavia

Significant

Yes, under Executive Order 12866

Pages

17

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.