H.R. 4012

119 HR 4012 IH: National Airport Supersonic Readiness Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-06-13
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 4012  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   June 13, 2025   Mr. Moore of North Carolina  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure    A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a study on the readiness of certain airports to accommodate high-speed air travel, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   National Airport Supersonic Readiness Act of 2025  .
2.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Supersonic and hypersonic commercial airliners have the potential to transform air travel by reducing long-haul flight times significantly.
(2)
Existing airport infrastructure may not be fully equipped to handle the unique requirements of such aircraft, including runway length, ground equipment, noise regulations, and fuel supply.
(3)
A comprehensive study is necessary to evaluate the ability of major United States airports to accommodate these aircraft safely and efficiently.
3.
High-speed air travel readiness study
(a)
In general
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and any other relevant stakeholders the Administrator determines appropriate, including industry and academia, shall conduct a study to assess the capability of large hub airports, including the largest airports in the United States, to accommodate high-speed aircraft.
(b)
Considerations
In conducting the study required under subsection (a), the Administrator shall evaluate—
(1)
runway length and structural integrity;
(2)
ground equipment compatibility, including fueling and maintenance facilities;
(3)
air traffic control systems and procedures;
(4)
environmental regulations that may prevent the use of high-speed aircraft at an airport described in subsection (a), including any such regulation relating to noise pollution or emissions; and
(5)
potential economic benefits and challenges relating to accommodating high-speed aircraft at any such airport.
(c)
Report
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes—
(1)
the results of the study required under subsection (a);
(2)
recommendations for policy changes and infrastructure improvements necessary to facilitate the use of high-speed aircraft at the airports described in subsection (a); and
(3)
estimated costs and a projected timeline for any such improvement.
(d)
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Appropriate committees of Congress
The term  appropriate committees of Congress  means the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives.
(2)
High-speed aircraft
The term  high-speed aircraft  means an aircraft operating at speeds in excess of Mach 1, including supersonic and hypersonic aircraft.
(3)
Hypersonic
The term  hypersonic  means flights operating at speeds that exceed Mach 5.
(4)
Large hub airport
The term  large hub airport  has the meaning given that term in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code.
(5)
Supersonic
The term  supersonic  means flights operating at speeds in excess of Mach 1 but less than Mach 5.