Trump’s ‘Concorde Bill’ Lifts the Ban on Supersonic Flight Over Land

President Trump’s ‘Concorde Bill’ had a clear goal: to bring the idea of supersonic flight back onto the good side of the public… and investors. While a Concorde re-run would certainly be an exciting development, whether or not any manufacturers are up for the task remains debatable.

The ban was originally imposed in the 1970s due to the ear-splitting noise of sonic booms and growing environmental concerns. It has long kept Concorde-style speed out of commercial airspace, but with Trump’s new executive order, that restriction has been removed.

Companies like Boom Supersonic immediately come to mind. The plane maker is well on its way to a feasible design, with its third-scale demonstrator already having logged over a dozen flights and supersonic speeds… all without a sonic boom being heard on the ground. Its full-scale design, the Overture, has already brought in 130 orders and purchase options from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines. It is intended to seat up to 80 passengers and fly as far as 4,250 nm at a time.

Then, there are some that make the concept of reintroducing supersonic seem slightly unrealistic. A company called Fly-Concorde Limited has garnered attention from some on the internet with claims to get a new version of the original Concorde in the air by 2026. It asserts that the aircraft will operate at 60,000 feet, use sustainable aviation fuel, and produce 80% fewer emissions than the original.

The most concerning aspect of the revived Concorde scheme is its financial twist. Its website shows a blockchain-based stablecoin, dubbed “Concorde Coin” (CSSC), that it is launching to back the operation.

While the vision is undeniably ambitious, significant questions remain. Certification, funding, manufacturing, and public acceptance all stand in the way of re-commercializing supersonic air travel. And, though some projects may have their head in the clouds, it’s not all that hard to believe that something like the Concorde will again take to the skies as a quieter, cleaner, and hopefully more profitable airliner.

FMI: https://boomsupersonic.com