Trump orders FAA to remove supersonic flight restrictions: ‘Bold new chapter in aerospace innovation'
President Trump is boosting supersonic aviation in the United States.
An executive order the commander in chief signed Friday directs the Federal Aviation Administration to repeal a 1973 rule prohibiting overland supersonic flight, establish new noise standards for aircraft and remove other regulations that get in the way of the development of high-speed planes.
'The United States stands at the threshold of a bold new chapter in aerospace innovation,' the president wrote in the order.
Advertisement
'For more than 50 years, outdated and overly restrictive regulations have grounded the promise of supersonic flight over land, stifling American ingenuity, weakening our global competitiveness, and ceding leadership to foreign adversaries.'
3 'President Trump is Making Aviation Great Again,' the White House said of the his executive order.
AFP via Getty Images
Trump argued that advances in engineering and technology have now made supersonic air travel 'not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.'
Advertisement
'This order begins a historic national effort to reestablish the United States as the undisputed leader in high-speed aviation,' the president declared. 'By updating obsolete standards and embracing the technologies of today and tomorrow, we will empower our engineers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to deliver the next generation of air travel, which will be faster, quieter, safer, and more efficient than ever before.'
Under current FAA rules, only military aircraft – flying in specially designated areas – are allowed to break the sound barrier over land.
The 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight was primarily due to the disruptive impact of the sonic booms produced when aircraft exceed the speed of sound.
3 Boom Supersonic hopes to develop a commercially viable supersonic aircraft.
AP
Advertisement
3 The FAA banned supersonic flights over the United States in 1973, over noise concerns.
Chad Robertson – stock.adobe.com
However, new technology has enabled one aircraft maker, Boom Supersonic, to develop a plane that can cruise above Mach 1 without emitting a sonic boom.
'Supersonic is back, baby!' Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl wrote on X, noting that in January, his company's XB-1 aircraft became the first privately developed supersonic jet to break the sound barrier.
'And today…[Trump] broke the sound barrier…permanently!' he added.
Advertisement
Scholl argued that the ban on supersonic flight has 'crippled progress' in aviation for half a century, but with Trump's order in place, 'The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin.'
'By removing decades-old regulatory barriers and promoting cutting-edge supersonic technology, President Trump is Making Aviation Great Again,' the White House said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
12 minutes ago
- New York Times
Immigration Agents Clash Again With Protesters in Los Angeles County
Protesters and immigration officials clashed again in Los Angeles County on Saturday as agents conducted raids at a Home Depot, local officials said, just a day after dramatic standoffs at similar workplace raids elsewhere in the area. In Paramount, Calif., about 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, protesters squared off with federal immigration agents after at least two immigration raids took place on Saturday, including one at the Home Depot and another at a nearby meatpacking facility. Video of the protests showed agents using what appeared to be flash-bang grenades to disperse the protesters. Immigrant rights advocates said that the agents, who were wearing riot gear, had also used some type of tear gas to break up the crowds. José Luis Solache Jr., a state assembly member, said on social media that he was among those who were hit with tear gas. The standoff followed a series of immigration raids that swept through Los Angeles on Friday, which resulted in chaos outside a federal building downtown where people detained in the raids were being processed. The streets swelled with protesters, and buildings and vehicles were vandalized with spray paint. Some people threw objects at federal agents, who then responded with flash-bang grenades. Just on Friday, agents arrested more than 120 people, federal officials said. But processing those arrests were delayed because of the protests. On Saturday, Trump administration officials blasted the city's response to the Friday operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticizing Los Angeles officials for not helping the federal agents, as well as blaming Democrats for the unrest. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Trump threatens Musk with "serious consequences" if he donates to Democrats
President Trump threatened Elon Musk with "serious consequences" should he decide to fund Democrats in upcoming elections, the latest in the ongoing public spat between the world's richest man and the world's arguably most powerful one. Mr. Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker in a phone interview on Saturday that he has no desire to rebuild his relationship with Musk after the billionaire criticized the budget bill passed by House lawmakers last month. When asked by Welker if his relationship with him was over, the president said, "I would assume so, yeah." "I'm too busy doing other things," Trump continued. "You know, I won an election in a landslide. I gave him a lot of breaks, long before this happened, I gave him breaks in my first administration, and saved his life in my first administration, I have no intention of speaking to him." The president also issued a warning amid chatter that Musk could back Democratic lawmakers and candidates in the 2026 midterm elections. "If he does, he'll have to pay the consequences for that," Trump told NBC, though he declined to share what those consequences would be. Musk's businesses have many lucrative federal contracts. The relationship between Mr. Trump and Musk broke down publicly last week, with the president threatening to cancel Musk's lucrative government contracts and Musk claiming that Mr. Trump could not have won the presidency without him. Musk, the world's richest person, had spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to back Mr. Trump and other Republican candidates, CBS News previously reported. He had posted several jabs against the president on X over the past week, including saying that Mr. Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance. Vance says Musk's attacks were a "huge mistake" Vance expressed his support for Mr. Trump, saying Musk was making a "huge mistake" going after Mr. Trump in a storm of bitter and inflammatory social media posts after a falling out between the two men. But the vice president, in an interview released Friday after the very public blow-up between the world's richest man and arguably the world's most powerful, also tried to downplay Musk's blistering attacks as an "emotional guy" who got frustrated. Musk attacked Mr. Trump in a torrent of social media posts, first criticizing the president's spending package and then targeting him with more direct attacks. Mr. Trump then portrayed Musk as disgruntled and "CRAZY" and threatened to cut the government contracts held by Musk's businesses. Trump ally Steve Bannon called for an investigation into Musk's immigration status and alleged drug use. During an interview with comedian Theo Von, Vance said he hopes that "eventually Elon comes back into the fold," but said it might not be "possible now because he's gone so nuclear." The interview was taped on Thursday as Musk's posts were unfurling on X, the social media network the billionaire owns. "Look, it happens to everybody," Vance said in the interview. "I've flown off the handle way worse than Elon Musk did in the last 24 hours." Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance attend a campaign event, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Alex Brandon / AP The vice president told Von that as Musk for days was calling on social media for Congress to kill Mr. Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," the president was "getting a little frustrated, feeling like some of the criticisms were unfair coming from Elon, but I think has been very restrained because the president doesn't think that he needs to be in a blood feud with Elon Musk." "I actually think if Elon chilled out a little bit, everything would be fine," he added. Vance's comments come as other Republicans in recent days have urged the two men to mend fences. Just weeks ago, Mr. Trump and Musk were close allies, spending significant time together while the billionaire served as a special advisor to the president and led the "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE. Vance called Musk an "incredible entrepreneur," and said that DOGE, which sought to cut government spending and laid off or pushed out thousands of workers, was "really good." Vance defends Trump against Epstein allegations Musk, who runs electric vehicle maker Tesla, internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX, also claimed without evidence that the government was concealing information about the president's association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. During the interview, Von showed the vice president Musk's claim that the Trump administration hasn't released all the records related to sex abuser Epstein because Mr. Trump is mentioned in them. Vance responded to that, saying, "Absolutely not. Donald Trump didn't do anything wrong with Jeffrey Epstein." Mr. Trump's name has been found in court documents related to Epstein's case, but his appearance in the documents is not evidence of wrongdoing. CBS News has previously covered Mr. Trump's presence in those documents. In February, the Department of Justice gave a group of right-wing influencers binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1," but the influencers later said that there was little new information in the files. Attorney General Pam Bondi later shared the documents widely and said the first phase "largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government." She said more documents would be forthcoming, but there have been no other releases since. Musk appeared by Saturday morning to have deleted his posts about Epstein. "The president is doing a good job" Musk also shared a post calling for Mr. Trump to be impeached and replaced with Vance. He also called for the formation of a new political party. The vice president said comments like those were "just not helpful." "It's totally insane. The president is doing a good job," Vance told Von. The vice president also defended the bill that has drawn Musk's ire, and said its central goal was not to cut spending but to extend the 2017 tax cuts approved in Trump's first term. The bill would slash spending but also leave some 10.9 million more people without health insurance and spike deficits by $2.4 trillion over the decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Musk has warned that the bill will increase the federal deficit and called it a "disgusting abomination." Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance listen as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. Evan Vucci / AP "It's a good bill," Vance said. "It's not a perfect bill." Vance also said it was ridiculous for some House Republicans who voted for the bill but later found parts objectionable to claim they hadn't had time to read it. The vice president said the text of the bill had been available for weeks. "The idea that people haven't had an opportunity to actually read it is ridiculous," Vance said.
UPI
32 minutes ago
- UPI
Army, Trump ready June 14th birthday parade with tanks, rocket launchers
President Donald Trump congratulates a cadet at the United States Military Academy graduation ceremony in Michie Stadium at West Point, New York, on May 24, and will review the Army's 250th birthday parade on June 14. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army celebrates its 250th birthday on June 14th in the nation's capital, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, and will be marked by a parade that may include tanks, rocket launchers and more than 100 military vehicles. With the two birthdays occurring on the same day, the previously scheduled parade that was intended as a relatively small event at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., has grown in size and cost. Up to 300 soldiers and civilians, the U.S. Army Band and four cannons were initially slated to honor the Army's 250th birthday, with seating available for 120 attendees, The Washington Post reported. U.S. Army leaders last year sought a permit for the event, but Trump's election victory has changed its scope, while doubling as an unofficial celebration of the president's birthday. Axios reported the parade will live up to Trump's request for a showcase the U.S. miliatary's might, with dozens of tanks, rocket launchers, missiles and more than 100 other military aircraft and vehicles participating. About 6,600 Army troops will participate, and the Army is paying to house them in area hotels. The parade route has been moved to the northwest portion of Constitution Avenue and will include a flyover of F-22 fighter jets, World War II planes and Vietnam-era aircraft. The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. EDT at 23rd Street and continue along Constitution Avenue N.W. to 15th Street. Trump will review the parade on the Ellipse. The event has an estimated cost of nearly $45 million, including more than $10 million for road repairs after the heavy military equipment passes over. The parade's estimated cost has Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., skeptical about its benefits. "I would have recommended against the parade," Wicker told an interviewer on Thursday, but the Department of Defense wants to use it as a recruiting tool. "On the other hand, [Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth] feels that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for thousands of young Americans to see what a great opportunity it is to participate in a great military force," Wicker said. "So, we'll see."
