Europe brought supersonic passenger travel to life, but now that the U.S. is trying to bring it back, the Continent says no thanks.
Almost 16 years after the last Concorde flight flew from New York to London, the U.S. — egged on by startups at home — wants an updated regulatory framework to put supersonic planes back in the air and across the Atlantic.
American negotiators this month put forward a proposal in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal to revise international rules for supersonic travel. But Europe wasn't interested, pushing back legislation that could have allowed the speedy return of supersonic air travel.
European representatives were concerned about the greater noise and emissions that may come from supersonic jets, according to officials at the meeting. They also fretted about the adverse effects of water vapor at high altitudes, which works as a greenhouse gas.
In Europe, governments are under pressure to cut emissions, and noise complaints keep airports from expanding. Beyond environmental concerns, Europeans still have vivid memories of the Concorde Flight 4590, which crashed soon after it took off from Paris Charles De Gaulle in 2000, killing all 113 people onboard and speeding up the aircraft phase out.
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