Proposed Rule2024-10274
Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-216 and V-380, and Revocation of VOR Federal Airways V-549 and V-551 in the Vicinity of Mankato, KS
Primary source
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Published
May 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-216 and V-380, and to revoke VOR Federal Airways V-549 and V-551. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Mankato, KS (TKO), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Mankato VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 96 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 96 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42828-42829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10274]
[[Page 42828]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2024-1364; Airspace Docket No. 24-ACE-1]
RIN 2120-AA66
Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-216 and V-380, and Revocation
of VOR Federal Airways V-549 and V-551 in the Vicinity of Mankato, KS
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-216 and V-380, and to
revoke VOR Federal Airways V-549 and V-551. The FAA is proposing this
action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the
Mankato, KS (TKO), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigational
aid (NAVAID). The Mankato VOR is being decommissioned in support of the
FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 1, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2024-1364 and
Airspace Docket No. 24-ACE-1 using any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and follow
the online instructions for sending your comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West Building
Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in
Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at (202) 493-2251.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> at any time. Follow the online instructions for
accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
FAA Order JO 7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points,
and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at <a href="http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/">www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/</a>. You may also contact the Rules and
Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration,
800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Rules and Regulations
Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority for This Rulemaking
The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is
found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106
describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII,
Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's
authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described
in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section,
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of
the airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the
efficient use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that
authority as it would modify the National Airspace System (NAS) as
necessary to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.
Comments Invited
The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. Comments are
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic,
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. The most
helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain
the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. To
ensure the docket does not contain duplicate comments, commenters
should submit only one time if comments are filed electronically, or
commenters should send only one copy of written comments if comments
are filed in writing.
The FAA will file in the docket all comments it receives, as well
as a report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA
personnel concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this
proposal, the FAA will consider all comments it receives on or before
the closing date for comments. The FAA will consider comments filed
after the comment period has closed if it is possible to do so without
incurring expense or delay. The FAA may change this proposal in light
of the comments it receives.
Privacy: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments
from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts
these comments, without edit, including any personal information the
commenter provides, to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, as described in the system
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
<a href="http://www.dot.gov/privacy">www.dot.gov/privacy</a>.
Availability of Rulemaking Documents
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the
internet at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Recently published rulemaking
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at
<a href="http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/">www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/</a>.
You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any
comments received and any final disposition in person in the Dockets
Operations office (see ADDRESSES section for address, phone number, and
hours of operations). An informal docket may also be examined during
normal business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group,
Central Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.
Incorporation by Reference
VOR Federal Airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) of FAA Order
JO 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, which is
incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 on an annual basis. This
document proposes to amend the current version of that order, FAA Order
JO 7400.11H, dated August 11, 2023, and effective September 15, 2023.
These updates would be published in the next update to FAA Order JO
7400.11. That order is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES
section of this document.
FAA Order JO 7400.11H lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas,
air traffic service routes, and reporting points.
Background
The FAA is planning to decommission the Mankato, KS, VOR in
February 2025. The Mankato VOR was one of the candidate VORs identified
for discontinuance by the FAA's VOR MON program and listed in the final
policy statement notice, ``Provision of Navigation Services for the
Next Generation Air Transportation System
[[Page 42829]]
(NextGen) Transition to Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) (Plan for
Establishing a VOR Minimum Operational Network),'' published in the
Federal Register on July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-
1082.
Although the VOR portion of the Mankato, KS, VORTAC is planned for
decommissioning, the co-located Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) portion
of the NAVAID is being retained. The TACAN would continue to provide
navigational service for military operations and Distance Measuring
Equipment (DME) service supporting current and future NextGen PBN
flight procedure requirements.
The VOR Federal airways affected by the Mankato VOR decommissioning
are V-216, V-380, V-549, and V-551. With the planned decommissioning of
the Mankato VOR, the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area
is insufficient to enable the continuity of the affected airways. As
such, proposed modifications to V-216 would result in an existing gap
in the airway being expanded; to V-380 would result in the airway being
shortened; and to V-549 and V-551 would result in the airways being
revoked.
To address the proposed modifications to the affected VOR Federal
airways, pilots operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) may
circumnavigate or fly through the affected area by requesting air
traffic control (ATC) radar vectors since there are no alternate
conventional airways available in the area. Additionally, pilots
operating aircraft equipped with area navigation (RNAV) capabilities
could navigate through the affected area point-to-point using the
existing Fixes and waypoints (WP) that would remain in place or by
using RNAV routes T-413, T-431, or T-468. Pilots operating under visual
flight rules who elect to navigate via the affected VOR Federal airways
may also take advantage of the ATC services and RNAV routes, if
properly equipped, listed previously.
The Proposal
The FAA is proposing to amend 14 CFR part 71 by amending VOR
Federal Airways V-216 and V-380, and revoking VOR Federal Airways V-549
and V-551. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Mankato, KS, VORTAC. The
proposed airway actions are described below.
V-216: V-216 currently extends between the Lamar, CO, VOR/Distance
Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) and the Mankato, KS, VORTAC; and between
the Lamoni, IA, VOR/DME and the Janesville, WI, VOR/DME. The FAA
proposes to remove the airway segment between the Hill City, KS, VORTAC
and the Mankato VORTAC. As amended, the airway would be changed to
extend between the Lamar VOR/DME and the Hill City VORTAC, and between
the Lamoni VOR/DME and the Janesville VOR/DME. Additional amendments to
the airway have been proposed in a separate rulemaking action.
V-380: V-380 currently extends between the Grand Island, NE, VOR/
DME and the Mankato, KS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway
segment between the Hastings, NE, VOR/DME and the Mankato VORTAC. As
amended, the airway would be changed to extend between the Grand Island
VOR/DME and the Hastings VOR/DME. Additional amendments to the airway
have been proposed in a separate rulemaking action.
V-549: V-549 currently extends between the Hays, KS, VORTAC and the
Mankato, KS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway in its
entirety.
V-551: V-551 currently extends between the Salina, KS, VORTAC and
the Mankato, KS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway in its
entirety.
The NAVAID radials listed in the V-216 description in the proposed
regulatory text of this NPRM are unchanged and stated in degrees True
north.
Regulatory Notices and Analyses
The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current.
It, therefore: (1) is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT
Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979);
and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation as the
anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter that
will only affect air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is
certified that this proposed rule, when promulgated, will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities
under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Environmental Review
This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies
and Procedures'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71
Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).
The Proposed Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:
PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR
TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS
0
1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O.
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.
Sec. 71.1 [Amended]
0
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order JO
7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 11,
2023, and effective September 15, 2023, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways
* * * * *
V-216 [Amended]
From Lamar, CO; to Hill City, KS. From Lamoni, IA; Ottumwa, IA;
Iowa City, IA; INT Iowa City 062[deg] and Janesville, WI, 240[deg]
radials; to Janesville.
* * * * *
V-380 [Amended]
From Grand Island, NE; to Hastings, NE.
* * * * *
V-549 [Removed]
* * * * *
V-551 [Removed]
* * * * *
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2024.
Frank Lias,
Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2024-10274 Filed 5-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 16, 2024.
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