Boom Supersonic’s ‘Boomless Cruise’ Technology Breaks the Sound Barrier Quietly

Boom Supersonic has made a major leap in the future of air travel, achieving supersonic flight without the disruptive sonic boom. During a milestone demonstration flight on January 28, 2025, Boom’s XB-1 aircraft successfully broke the sound barrier three times, but remarkably, none of these events caused an audible sonic boom, a major breakthrough in the world of high-speed aviation.

Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, expressed his excitement: “This confirms what we’ve long believed—supersonic travel can be affordable, sustainable, and friendly to those onboard and on the ground.” The company has now unveiled more details about the technology behind this quiet supersonic achievement, which it calls ‘Boomless Cruise.’

What is Boomless Cruise?
Boomless Cruise is based on the concept of Mach cutoff, a phenomenon that prevents the sound of a sonic boom from reaching the ground when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound at high altitudes. In this case, instead of allowing the sonic boom to refract downwards and disturb those on the ground, the XB-1 flew at a higher altitude before transitioning to Mach 1. The company placed microphones along the aircraft’s flight path to confirm that no sonic boom was audible on the ground during these transitions.

This innovative approach to supersonic flight addresses one of the biggest challenges to the widespread adoption of supersonic travel—noise pollution. The absence of an audible sonic boom opens the door to the possibility of future supersonic airliners flying over land, something that was previously not allowed due to noise restrictions.

Boomless cruise technology will make overland supersonic cruising possible at Mach 1.3 (850 mph, 1,370 km/h, 750 nm), reducing transcontinental flight times from 5 hours and 30 minutes to just 3 hours.

Technological Backing and Industry Support
The concept of Mach cutoff and its potential to mitigate sonic boom disturbances is not new. NASA, for example, published a paper on this phenomenon in 2016, and several projects are exploring technologies that aim to achieve supersonic speeds without the accompanying noise. One of the most notable projects is the Lockheed Martin X-59 Quesst, which is specifically designed to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight.

As these technologies continue to evolve, there is hope within the aviation industry that regulators will update airspace regulations to accommodate supersonic travel. Allowing new supersonic transports to accelerate to the speed of sound earlier in their flight paths could drastically reduce travel times between major cities while mitigating noise impacts for communities on the ground.

The Future of Supersonic Travel
Boom’s ‘Boomless Cruise’ could be a game-changer for the future of commercial aviation. As airlines and governments look for ways to increase travel efficiency, the possibility of faster, quieter flights is becoming more tangible. Boom Supersonic’s breakthrough has the potential to reshape the airline industry by enabling supersonic travel over land without disturbing the population below.

With continued advancements in technologies like Mach cutoff and growing support for quieter supersonic flight, Boom Supersonic’s vision of affordable, sustainable, and noise-free high-speed travel could soon become a reality. As the company continues to refine its technology and gain regulatory approval, passengers may soon be able to experience supersonic travel without the disruption of traditional sonic booms.

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