FAA wants supersonic jets over our cities if they're quiet enough

The FAA is proposing to let supersonic airliners fly over U.S. cities again — if they meet strict noise rules. This is a big change after a decades-long ban on sonic booms over land.

The idea is simple: make the boom quiet enough that it doesn't wake up the neighborhood. If the plane stays under a certain decibel threshold, it can cruise over populated areas without getting fined or grounded.

It's not a free pass. The FAA wants proof. Airlines have to show their planes pass the new noise standards before they get approval. If the boom is still loud, the rule doesn't apply.

This isn't new news. The ban started in 1973 after the Concorde and other supersonic flights caused complaints from cities. For decades, no commercial supersonic passenger flights happened over land. Now the FAA is saying: if it's quiet, it's fine.

The proposal is still a proposal. It needs public comment. It needs to pass through the normal rulemaking process. That means months, maybe years, before any plane actually flies over a city at supersonic speed.

But the direction is clear. The FAA is testing whether quiet supersonic flight is possible. If it works, commercial flights could cut travel time in half. New York to London in four hours. That's the promise.

For the people who live under those flight paths, it's different. It's your kitchen window vibrating. It's your dog barking. It's the kid trying to sleep. The FAA says the noise will be quiet. Quiet is a word. The feeling is another thing.

This is still a draft. The comment period is open. If you live in a city that could see supersonic traffic, you can say something.

Why this matters for us: the people who get the boom are the same ones who never got the ticket to fly — the ones on the ground, paying rent, trying to sleep, while the executives plan routes that turn their streets into test zones.