Imagine flying from Los Angeles to Sydney in less than eight hours, or getting from Sydney to Perth in around three.

It sounds like science fiction, but the return of commercial supersonic travel is moving a step closer after US regulators proposed lifting a decades-old ban on overland supersonic flights.

The original Concorde could fly faster than the speed of sound, but was eventually retired due to high operating costs and the loud sonic booms it created. Those shockwaves, which sounded like explosions on the ground, led many countries to ban supersonic flights over land more than 50 years ago.

Now, a new generation of aircraft is promising to solve that problem.

Companies such as Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace say advances in engineering have dramatically reduced the noise while improving fuel efficiency. Their proposed aircraft could cut long-haul travel times almost in half, with Boom already promoting a future Los Angeles-to-Sydney route in under eight hours.

Aviation experts say if the technology proves affordable, Australia could become one of its biggest beneficiaries.

With some of the world’s longest domestic and international routes, quieter supersonic aircraft could eventually transform the way Australians travel. Provided regulators around the world follow the US lead.

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