True, though the inability to do transcontinental flights exacerbated this by effectively eliminating any hope of recovering development costs or achieving any

True, though the inability to do transcontinental flights exacerbated this by effectively eliminating any hope of recovering development costs or achieving any other economies of scale. Noise around airports was also a very contentious issue - low-bypass jet engines and, especially, the use of afterburners on the takeoff roll. This will become an issue again even if the sonic boom problem is solved. Smaller aircraft may be quieter, but they are unlikely to be welcome at airports that cater primarily to business jets, if they are any louder than those in use now - and the trend is towards quieter.