Houston Daily

Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22), has written an op-ed in The Washington Times, supporting President Donald J. Trump's executive order on supersonic aviation. Nehls emphasizes that this move positions the United States as a leader in supersonic flight technology.

Nehls discusses his bipartisan bill, the Supersonic Aviation Modernization (SAM) Act, which aims to direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to revise regulations within one year. This would allow civil aircraft to operate at speeds of Mach 1 or higher without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground.

"The supersonic aviation race is this generation’s space race," Nehls states. He explains that Trump's executive order repeals a 1973 FAA regulation prohibiting civil supersonic flights over land in the U.S., thereby removing barriers that hinder America's competitiveness against foreign entities like China's Comac.

Comac is developing a supersonic jet called the C949, but American companies such as Boom Supersonic are already ahead with aircraft capable of flying faster than sound without causing sonic booms. Boom's XB-1 demonstrator broke the sound barrier six times earlier this year without an audible boom.

Before Trump's executive order, Nehls and Sen. Ted Budd introduced the SAM Act to codify these changes and ensure outdated regulations do not impede progress in American air travel.

Nehls also mentions his role as Chairman during discussions following a plane crash at DCA airport and highlights investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for modernizing air traffic control systems with $12.5 billion funding.

He concludes by stating: "Safety remains our top priority... By lifting the ban on supersonic flight, we are ensuring America will remain the world’s leader in the aviation industry."