The United States government has announced the return of commercial supersonic flights to the country, putting an end to a ban that had been in force for half a century. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light for several companies to begin operating routes with aircraft capable of flying faster than sound, something that had not happened since the Concorde stopped flying in 2003.
The big difference from the past is that the new supersonic aircraft —developed by companies such as Boom Supersonic— generate much softer sonic booms. Instead of the deafening roar of 108 decibels that the Concorde produced (similar to an explosion), the new models produce a dull thump, like a distant door slam. This is possible thanks to new aerodynamic designs that “shape” the shock wave so that it does not hit the ground as hard.
And how does this affect you? Well, if everything goes as planned, within a few years you could cross the Atlantic in three and a half hours instead of the current seven or eight. New York to London in the blink of an eye. That said, for now the tickets will not exactly be cheap: the first routes will be aimed at business and first-class travelers. But as happened with regular flights, technology tends to get cheaper over time. The supersonic era is back, and this time it is here to stay.
— Marta, for intermittent intelligence.
