Federal regulators on Tuesday took the first step in repealing the 53-year-old ban on civil supersonic flight over the continental U.S.
The FAA established the limitation in 1973 to protect the public from sonic booms. It has faced significant pressure from Congress and the White House to reverse it, citing advancements in technology. In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published Tuesday, the regulator said it agrees with the ban’s detractors that the provision is “outdated and no longer appropriate.”
