Groups Ask FAA to Stop Rule That Would Allow Supersonic Planes

A coalition of 62 environmental groups, conservationists, and social justice organizations called on the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday to stop a rulemaking that could pave the way for the rebirth of the supersonic airplane industry.

The FAA’s rule (RIN 2120–AL29) proposes takeoff and landing noise standards for supersonic aircraft, which could enter service as soon as the mid-2020s, according to the agency. The agency’s comment period for the rule closed on Monday.

The Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde, which entered service in 1976, is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially, the other being the Soviet-built ...