Donald Trump wants to clear the way for supersonic flights again. To that end, the US president has instructed the FAA to eliminate the 1973 speed restriction that prohibits flights over Mach 1 and replace it with a noise standard.

The last supersonic flight was conducted by the Concorde in 2003, however new technology in supersonic aircraft can allow the planes to fly faster than the speed of sound without a disruptive sonic boom being heard on the ground, but the regulations still ban those flights over land.

A plane developed by Boom Supersonic became the first independently funded jet to breath the sound barrier this year.

“The reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to LA in under four hours,” Kratsios said. “Advances in aerospace engineering, material science and noise reduction now make overland supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable and commercially viable.”

Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, said a renaissance in supersonic passenger travel is made inevitable with the repeal of the ban.

“This important step allows us to accelerate development of our Overture supersonic airliner,” Scholl said of the Trump directive.

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