The Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced that regulators are moving toward enabling civilian supersonic flights over the continental U.S., which have been banned for decades due to sonic booms.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a rule that sets a noise-based certification standard for supersonic aircraft and signaled that it will propose another rule later this year covering landing and takeoff noise standards for supersonic aircraft.

Taken together, the FAA’s regulatory moves will give guidance to aircraft manufacturers so they can finalize designs and bring civilian aircraft capable of flying at supersonic speeds into service for travelers.

“Restoring supersonic flight over land isn’t just about speed, it’s about unleashing American innovation and ushering in a Golden Age of Travel,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

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“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are working at lightning speed to safely enable the next quantum leap in aviation technology and deliver an exciting new way to fly to the American flying public,” Duffy added.

The FAA is planning to finalize both rules by mid-2027.

Supersonic flights travel at speeds at or above Mach 1, flying at about 770 miles per hour or more. By contrast, commercial airliners generally fly between 550 and 600 miles per hour, giving supersonic aircraft a speed edge that can reduce travel times.

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Civilian flights in the U.S. have been prohibited from operating at speeds above Mach 1 over land in the U.S. under an FAA rule meant to protect the public from the impact of sonic booms, which can present noise issues at ground-level and may damage windows.

Technological advancements have led to a new flight technique called Mach cutoff, which the FAA explained uses the aircraft design, atmospheric conditions, speed and altitude to work together to make the sonic boom bend and refract up into the atmosphere – significantly reducing the ground-level impact in the process.

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“Advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, noise reduction, and new operational concepts will eliminate the old sonic boom,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “This means we can ultimately repeal the ban from the 1970s on supersonic flight over U.S. territory while minimizing noise impacts to residents in communities along the route and near airports.”

While the newly proposed regulations would apply to domestic supersonic flights, the FAA is also working with its regulatory counterparts from around the world to develop frameworks that could enable supersonic aircraft to serve international flights.

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A year ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called for the FAA to secure safety aviation agreements with foreign aviation regulators to allow for the safe international operation of supersonic aircraft.

Ford is recalling more than 741,000 vehicles across the U.S. after a transmission defect that can damage the parking system and increase the risk of a vehicle rolling away was linked to 24 allegations of property damage and nine alleged injuries.

The recall affects 741,195 vehicles, including certain 2018-2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs, 2020-2021 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, and 2021 Ford F-150 pickups, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The agency said the vehicles may experience a transmission problem during certain shifts while in motion that can damage the transmission’s parking mechanism.

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If that happens, the transmission may no longer hold the vehicle in place after it is shifted into “Park” unless the parking brake is applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Ford said the issue stems from a transmission valve body separator plate that can restrict fluid flow to the park valve, allowing the parking mechanism to briefly engage while the vehicle is still moving. Drivers may notice a wrench warning light, and in some cases the electronic parking brake may automatically engage.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
F	FORD MOTOR CO.	13.91	-0.12	-0.89%

Ford said the reported incidents include two allegations involving emotional injuries.

To address the issue, dealers will update the vehicle’s powertrain control module software, inspect the transmission for damage and replace any damaged components free of charge.

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Ford expects to begin mailing interim notification letters to owners on Aug. 3. 

A permanent repair is not expected to be available until April 2027, when the company plans to begin notifying owners that the remedy is available.

The recall is the latest in a string of safety actions that have put Ford under increased scrutiny in recent years.

In 2025, the automaker set a record for the most recalls issued by a single manufacturer in a single year, topping 150 safety recalls — nearly double the previous record of 77 set by General Motors in 2014.

Ford said the increase reflected a more aggressive strategy of identifying and addressing potential safety issues before they result in major incidents or widespread complaints.

FORD RECALLS MORE THAN 412,000 VEHICLES OVER SUSPENSION ISSUE

“The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers,” the company said in a 2025 statement. “Ford has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years and significantly increased testing for failure on critical systems in current Ford vehicles such as powertrains, steering and braking.”

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Between 2020 and 2026, nearly every Ford model was recalled at least once, from SUVs and pickups to commercial vans and the Mustang. The lone exception was the Ford GT supercar, which was discontinued after the 2022 model year.

FOX Business has reached out to Ford for comment on the recall and will update this story if a response is received.

Owners with questions can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

FOX Business’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished out the quarter with their biggest quarterly gains since 2020 as investors remained upbeat about economic and earnings growth even amid the Middle East conflict. Dow notched a record high close, and Nasdaq ends the second quarter 21% higher on the AI boom.

The ‌indexes ended higher ⁠for ⁠the day as well on Tuesday, with technology among the biggest sector gainers in the S&P 500. Optimism over signs of progress in efforts to bring the Iran war to a lasting halt has helped stocks recently despite continued military tensions. For the month, the S&P 500 fell 1.1%, the Dow rose 2.5%, and the Nasdaq declined 2.8%.

Iran and the U.S. on June 17 signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the four-month-old conflict. But exchanges of fire over the weekend have tested that agreement, and a Qatari ⁠official said ‌on Tuesday that top U.S. envoys who have arrived in Doha will not hold a high-level meeting with Iran.

“We’ve had a great first half ⁠of the year, certainly better than most expected,” said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and advisor for Wealthspire Advisors in Westport, Connecticut.

“In spite of all the geopolitical stuff, the U.S. economy is performing well and corporate earnings are strong.”

After a strong first-quarter earnings season for S&P 500 companies, investors are looking forward to second-quarter results in the coming weeks.
According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 55.97 points, or 0.75%, to end at 7,498.38 ‌points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 374.62 points, or 1.45%, to 26,194.76. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 116.17 points, or 0.22%, to 52,298.91. Weakness in heavyweight technology shares has weighed ⁠on the market in recent weeks. Strategists at BofA said cyclical, value-oriented sectors such as energy and financials could be the better bet heading into the second half.

Worries about possible interest rate hikes have weighed on the market. Traders are pricing in at least one rate hike by the Federal Reserve by the end of 2026, according to data compiled by LSEG.

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