Will Commercial Supersonic Flights Be a Boom or Bust?

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Will supersonic flights return to the skies in the near future? President Donald Trump has lifted the long-standing ban on supersonic commercial flights, which may break new ground (or air) for faster flights.

Trump’s Executive Order will life the ban by December 2025. New regulations for noise will be set by late 2026. Then the revised rules are expected to be implemented by the middle of 2027. If successful, the new supersonic flights could cut the flight time from NY to LA nearly in half.

A promising innovation when they were first introduced, most notably with the Concorde in 1976, supersonic jets proved to have major problems for civilians. Could these issues be resolved? Let’s take a look at why supersonic jets were banned in the first place.

Sonic Boom: The sonic boom, a loud noise produced when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier, has been the biggest problem for supersonic travel. In addition to being disruptive, this boom has the potential to damage buildings, shatter glass, and be audible for miles. In the United States and many other nations, supersonic flights were prohibited over land due to these noise disturbances.

High Operating Costs: Compared to conventional aircraft, supersonic aircraft were significantly more expensive to operate and maintain. For example, the high cost of tickets for the Concorde limited its commercial viability and made it available only to a select few.

Safety Concerns: The 2000 Concorde crash that involved Air France Flight 4590 brought attention to the dangers of supersonic travel. Supersonic aviation declined as a result of this tragedy, which also increased scrutiny of the aircraft's safety regulations.

Environmental Issues: Compared to their subsonic counterparts, supersonic jets use a lot more fuel, which raises carbon emissions. As the world grew more concerned with sustainability, supersonic flights became more and more unfeasible due to their environmental impact.

The high operating costs, perceived safety concerns, and environmental issues all had potential for improvement. But the sonic boom proved to be the trickiest problem to address. Engineers have been creating new technologies to lessen or completely eradicate the sonic boom in response to these worries.

Advanced engineering and aerodynamics work together to provide the answer. The development of "quiet supersonic" jets, which seek to lessen the sonic boom's intensity to a mere "thump," is one encouraging advancement. Supersonic jets are being redesigned by aircraft manufacturers to produce a much softer sound by distributing shockwaves more evenly. Another possibility is offered by flying at altitudes where the shockwave can be directed upwards.

Reviving the industry for commercial travel may depend on these technological developments allowing supersonic flights over land once more.