Supersonic flight: Will planes go faster than sound again?

Commercial airlines are yet to operate any supersonic aircraft since the Air France Concorde ended service in 2003, as per a report on USA Today. The era of regular commercial supersonic flights ended in 2003 when Concorde, flown by Air France and British Airways, was retired after 27 years of service. So, will there be commercial flights flying faster than sound again?

USA Today reported that there are speculations that prominent carriers such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Japan Airlines have ordered such fast aircraft from Boom. However, there has been no official announcement regarding supersonic flight so far.

Donald Trump Boost to Supersonic Flight

Earlier in June, President Donald Trump signed executive orders to bolster US defenses against threatening drones and to boost electric air taxis and supersonic commercial aircraft, the White House said.

President Trump also directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lift a ban imposed in 1973 on supersonic air transport over land.

Supersonic aircraft have been criticized by environmentalists for burning more fuel per passenger than comparable subsonic planes.

New Era of Supersonic Commercial Flight Race

"The reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to L.A. in under four hours," said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Advances in aerospace engineering, material science and noise reduction now make overland supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable and commercially viable," Kratsios said.

The order directs FAA to repeal the supersonic speed limit as long as aircraft do not produce an audible sonic boom on the ground. Airplane manufacturer Boom Supersonic welcomed the move. Its CEO, Blake Scholl, said: "The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin."

FAQs

Q1. What were last regular commercial supersonic flights?
A1. The era of regular commercial supersonic flights ended in 2003 when Concorde, flown by Air France and British Airways, was retired after 27 years of service.

Q2. What is full form of FAA?
A2. The full form of FAA is Federal Aviation Administration.