Trump Lifts Restrictions on Business Supersonic Aviation, Yet Questions Remain About Sufficient Impact
In the history of aviation, the iconic Concorde aircraft, operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003, marked a significant milestone in supersonic travel. However, its journey was not without challenges, primarily centring around noise pollution, fuel efficiency, and market demand. These issues continue to pose hurdles for modern efforts aiming to revive supersonic commercial travel.
Noise and Sonic Boom
The loud sonic boom produced by Concorde led to bans on supersonic flight over land in numerous countries, limiting viable routes for transoceanic flights to solely oceanic ones. New technological advancements, such as low-boom design, are addressing this issue by shaping aircraft to produce quieter sonic "thumps" instead of booms, potentially allowing supersonic routes over land with acceptable noise levels [1][3][4].
Fuel Efficiency
Flying at supersonic speeds significantly increases aerodynamic drag, leading to a surge in fuel consumption. Concorde grappled with high fuel burn while maintaining economic viability and environmental concerns. Progress in engine and aerodynamic design aims to improve fuel efficiency, but supersonic flight still faces substantial challenges to meet cost-effective and sustainable fuel use compared to subsonic jets [1][2].
Market Demand
Concorde catered to a niche market of affluent passengers willing to pay premium prices for speed but failed to achieve mass-market adoption. The market for supersonic travel is likely restricted to long-haul, premium routes where time savings justify higher costs, such as transoceanic flights where private jets have limitations. Regulatory changes alone, like lifting bans on supersonic overland flights, might not create sufficient demand to ensure commercial success without addressing cost and operational constraints [2].
The Trump administration's recent executive order allows commercial flights to fly faster than the speed of sound, overturning regulations passed in 1973 that restricted overland supersonic flight due to sonic booms [5]. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is instructed to establish interim noise-based certification standards for supersonic flights, with a standard for supersonic noise to be produced within 18 months [6].
It remains uncertain whether supersonic jets will be quieter than the noise levels the Trump administration finds problematic for wind turbines. Companies like Boom Supersonic and Lockheed Martin are working on quieter supersonic aircraft, aiming to address the noise issue [3].
The market for supersonic travel is likely on intercontinental flights long enough to make time savings count more, and which many private jets can't handle [7]. Companies betting on success argue that there will be a higher number of super-rich individuals unaffected by price in the future.
In summary, Concorde's history and current innovation efforts reveal major hurdles in controlling noise pollution, improving fuel economy, and finding sustainable market demand to enable viable commercial supersonic flight beyond limited, premium segments [1][2][3][4]. The future of commercial supersonic travel remains uncertain, but advancements in technology and regulatory changes offer potential opportunities for a revival of this fast-paced mode of travel.
[1] https://www.space.com/43135-supersonic-aircraft-boom-lockheed-martin-concord.html [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54687502 [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54687502 [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/business/supersonic-jets-boom-lockheed-martin.html [5] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-executive-order-on-promoting-safe-affordable-and-expansive-access-to-the-u-s-air-traffic-system/ [6] https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=25743 [7] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimcramer/2021/03/17/supersonic-jets-are-coming-back-but-will-they-be-a-success/?sh=6c3103891d50
- The sonic "thumps" produced by new technological advancements, such as low-boom design, are expected to allow supersonic routes over land, potentially addressing noise pollution issues that previously limited viable transoceanic flights.
- Although progress in engine and aerodynamic design aims to improve fuel efficiency, supersonic flight continues to face substantial challenges in meeting cost-effective and sustainable fuel use compared to subsonic jets.
- The market for supersonic travel is likely restricted to long-haul, premium routes where time savings justify higher costs, such as transoceanic flights, and regulatory changes may not create sufficient demand without addressing cost and operational constraints.
- The Trump administration has recently allowed commercial flights to fly faster than the speed of sound, overturning regulations that restricted overland supersonic flight due to sonic booms, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working on establishing interim noise-based certification standards.
- Companies like Boom Supersonic and Lockheed Martin are working on quieter supersonic aircraft, aiming to address the noise issue and potentially make supersonic jets commercially viable, but it remains uncertain whether they will be quieter than the noise levels that the Trump administration finds problematic for wind turbines.
