TLDR · SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

FAA PROPOSAL: SUPERSONIC AIRLINERS CAN FLY OVER US CITIES IF THEY'RE QUIET

arstechnica.com3 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

The US Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new rule that would allow commercial supersonic airliners as long as they can reduce the ground-level impacts of their sonic booms. The new rule would require any sonic boom overpressure at the surface to be kept below 0.11 pounds per square foot. Critics of the new rule say it doesn't actually consider loudness or annoyance. Legalization of quieter supersonic flights doesn't guarantee a successful comeback for commercial supersonic airliners - Concorde's massive fuel consumption made it difficult to sustain profitable operations.