Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act

This bill tells the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update its rules so some planes can fly faster than the speed of sound in U.S. airspace. The key condition: no sonic boom can reach the ground. If a plane can fly supersonic without that loud boom hitting people on the ground, it would not need special permission to do so. The FAA has up to one year after the bill becomes law to put these rules in place .

• It applies to civil (non-military) aircraft.
• It focuses on safety and noise for people on the ground.
• It changes existing rules (like current bans) so long as flights avoid ground-level sonic booms .

Key points:

• Who is affected: FAA; airlines and companies that fly civil aircraft; communities under flight paths .
• What changes: New or revised regulations will allow supersonic flights without special approval, but only if no sonic boom reaches the ground in the United States .
• When: Within one year after the law takes effect, the FAA must issue the rules .