Proposed Rule2024-12982
Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-68, V-76, V-212, V-222, and V-558, and United States Area Navigation Routes T-220 in the Vicinity of Industry, TX
Primary source
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Published
June 14, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-68, V-76, V-212, V-222, and V-558, and United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T-220. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Industry, TX (IDU), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Industry 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 116 (Friday, June 14, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 116 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50537-50540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12982]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2024-1707; Airspace Docket No. 24-ASW-4]
RIN 2120-AA66
Amendment of VOR Federal Airways V-68, V-76, V-212, V-222, and V-
558, and United States Area Navigation Routes T-220 in the Vicinity of
Industry, TX
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-68, V-76, V-212, V-222,
and V-558, and United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T-220. The
FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the
VOR portion of the Industry, TX (IDU), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation
(VORTAC) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Industry 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 29, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2024-1707 and
Airspace Docket No. 24-ASW-4 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
[[Page 50538]]
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) and United
States Area Navigation Routes (T-routes) are published in paragraph
6011 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 Industry, TX, VOR in
February 2025. The Industry 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 (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 Industry, TX, VORTAC is planned for
decommissioning, the co-located Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) portion
of the NAVAID, which includes Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), would
be retained to provide navigational service for military aircraft
operations. The DME service would support current and future NextGen
PBN flight procedure requirements.
The Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes affected by the Industry VOR
decommissioning are VOR Federal Airways V-68, V-76, V-212, V-222, and
V-558, and RNAV Route T-220. With the planned decommissioning of the
Industry 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-222 would result in the existing gap in the
airway being increased; to V-68, V-76, V-212, and V-558 would result in
the airways being shortened; and to T-220 would result in the Industry
VORTAC route point being replaced by a Waypoint (WP) and the route
being extended westward.
To address the proposed modifications to the affected VOR Federal
airways, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use portions of
adjacent VOR Federal Airways V-17 and V-574 or request and receive air
traffic control (ATC) radar vectors to fly through the affected area.
IFR pilots operating aircraft equipped with RNAV capabilities could use
RNAV Routes T-220 and T-466 or navigate point-to-point using the
existing Fixes and WPs that will remain in place to support continued
operations though the affected area. Visual flight rules pilots who
elect to navigate via the affected airways could also take advantage of
the adjacent VOR Federal airways or ATC services listed previously.
To further mitigate the proposed modifications to the affected VOR
Federal airways, the FAA also proposes to modify RNAV Route T-220 by
replacing the Industry VORTAC route point with the MNURE, TX, WP and
extending the route westward to MARCS, TX, Fix. The extended T-route
would provide pilots with RNAV equipped aircraft a route alternative
through the affected area, reduce ATC sector workload and complexity,
reduce pilot-to-controller communication, and support the FAA's
continued NextGen efforts to modernize the NAS from a ground-based
system to a satellite-based system.
The Proposal
The FAA is proposing to amend 14 CFR part 71 by amending VOR
Federal Airways V-68, V-76, V-212, V-222, and V-558, and RNAV Route T-
220. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Industry, TX, VORTAC NAVAID.
The proposed ATS route actions are described below.
V-68: V-68 currently extends between the Montrose, CO, VOR/Distance
Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) and the Industry, TX, VORTAC. The FAA
proposes to remove the airway segment between the San Antonio, TX,
[[Page 50539]]
VORTAC and the Industry VORTAC. Additionally, the FAA proposes to
remove the designated Federal airway floor information in the airway
description between the Corona, NM, VORTAC and the Chisum, NM, VORTAC.
The Federal airway floor information was a legacy method for
designating the floors of Federal airways that is unnecessary today due
to 14 CFR part 95, IFR Altitudes, Minimum Enroute Altitude (MEA) and
Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude (MOCA) analysis and
determination requirements accomplished for ATS routes and route
segments. As amended, the airway would extend between the Montrose VOR/
DME and the San Antonio VORTAC.
V-76: V-76 currently extends between the Lubbock, TX, VORTAC and
the Industry, TX, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment
between the Centex, TX, VORTAC and the Industry VORTAC. As amended, the
airway would extend between the Lubbock VORTAC and the Centex VORTAC.
Additional changes to the airway have been proposed in a separate NPRM.
V-212: V-212 currently extends between the Industry, TX, VORTAC and
the Mc Comb, MS, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment
between the Industry VORTAC and the Navasota, TX, VOR/DME. As amended,
the airway would extend between the Navasota VOR/DME and the Mc Comb
VORTAC.
V-222: V-222 currently extends between the El Paso, TX, VORTAC and
the Humble, TX, VORTAC; and between the Lake Charles, LA, VORTAC and
the intersection of the LaGrange, GA, VORTAC 048[deg] and Rome, GA,
VORTAC 166[deg] radials (TIROE Fix). The FAA proposes to remove the
airway segment between the Stonewall, TX, VORTAC and the Humble, TX,
VORTAC. Additionally, the FAA proposes to remove the designated Federal
airway floor information in the airway description between the Fort
Stockton, TX, VORTAC and the Junction, TX, VORTAC. The Federal airway
floor information was a legacy method for designating the floors of
Federal airways that is unnecessary today due to 14 CFR part 95, IFR
Altitudes, MEA and MOCA analysis and determination requirements
accomplished for ATS routes and route segments. As amended, the airway
would extend between the El Paso VORTAC and the Stonewall VORTAC, and
between the Lake Charles VORTAC and the TIROE Fix.
V-558: V-558 currently extends between the Llano, TX, VORTAC and
the Industry, TX, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment
between the Centex, TX, VORTAC and the Industry VORTAC. As amended, the
airway would extend between the Llano VORTAC and the Centex VORTAC.
Additional changes to the airway have been proposed in a separate NPRM.
T-220: T-220 currently extends between the Industry, TX, VORTAC and
the Sabine Pass, TX, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to replace the Industry
VORTAC route point with the MNURE, TX, WP located approximately 2
nautical miles north of the Industry VORTAC and extend the route
westward from the MNURE WP to the MARCS, TX, Fix. The route extension
would mitigate the removal of the V-68 and V-558 airway segments
between the MARCS Fix and the Industry VORTAC. As amended, the route
would extend between the MARCS Fix and the Sabine Pass VORTAC. The full
T-220 route description is listed in the regulatory text of this NPRM.
The NAVAID radials listed in the VOR Federal airway descriptions in
the 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-68 [Amended]
From Montrose, CO; Cones, CO; Dove Creek, CO; Cortez, CO;
Rattlesnake, NM; INT Rattlesnake 128[deg] and Albuquerque, NM,
345[deg] radials; Albuquerque; INT Albuquerque 120[deg] and Corona,
NM, 311[deg] radials; Corona; Chisum, NM; Hobbs, NM; Midland, TX;
San Angelo, TX; Junction, TX; Center Point, TX; to San Antonio, TX.
* * * * *
V-76 [Amended]
From Lubbock, TX; INT Lubbock 188[deg] and Big Spring, TX,
286[deg] radials; Big Spring; San Angelo, TX; Llano, TX; to Centex,
TX.
* * * * *
V-212 [Amended]
From Navasota, TX; INT Navasota 019[deg] and Lufkin, TX,
250[deg] radials; Lufkin; Alexandria, LA; to Mc Comb, MS.
* * * * *
V-222 [Amended]
From El Paso, TX; Salt Flat, TX; Fort Stockton, TX; Junction,
TX; to Stonewall, TX. From Lake Charles, LA; Mc Comb, MS; Eaton, MS;
Monroeville, AL; Montgomery, AL; LaGrange, GA; to INT LaGrange
048[deg] and Rome, GA, 166[deg] radials.
* * * * *
V-558 [Amended]
From Llano, TX; INT Llano 088[deg] and Centex, TX, 306[deg]
radials; to Centex.
* * * * *
Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.
* * * * *
[[Page 50540]]
T-220 MARCS, TX to Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) [Amended]
MARCS, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]53'52.04'' N, long. 097[deg]51'40.70'' W)
CRAYS, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]55'06.43'' N, long. 097[deg]25'59.46'' W)
MNURE, TX WP (Lat. 29[deg]59'34.88'' N, long. 096[deg]33'57.84'' W)
SEALY, TX FIX (Lat. 29[deg]51'15.54'' N, long. 095[deg]56'36.33'' W)
MOLLR, TX WP (Lat. 29[deg]39'20.23'' N, long. 095[deg]16'35.83'' W)
Sabine Pass, TX (SBI) VOR/DME (Lat. 29[deg]41'12.19'' N, long. 094[deg]02'16.72'' W)
* * * * *
Issued in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2024.
Frank Lias,
Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2024-12982 Filed 6-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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