Aircraft
Aerion Encouraged by FAA Supersonic Policy
Aerion, the U.S.

Aerion, the U.S. company that is developing a supersonic business jet (SSBJ), has welcomed an FAA policy shift which it believes “seems to crack open the door for supersonic cruise speeds” if, in the words of FAA policy guidance released last month, “the noise impacts of supersonic flight are shown to be acceptable.”

The proposed Aerion SSBJ design is low-noise in that it is projected to meet Stage 4 requirements and, according to the company, initial tests show that it will not produce a sonic boom at ground level during cruise until it reaches Mach 1.2. This so-called “Mach cut-off” level has been verified by NASA.