Proposed Rule2026-05784
Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace and Establishment of Class E Airspace; Clovis, NM, and Portales, NM
Primary source
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Published
March 25, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action proposes to amend the Class D and Class E airspace at Clovis, NM, and establish Class E airspace at Clovis, NM, and Portales, NM. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of a biennial airspace review conducted for Cannon AFB (Air Force Base), Clovis, NM, and airspace reviews conducted at Clovis Regional Airport, Clovis, NM, and Portales Municipal Airport, Portales, NM, due to updated instrument procedures. The name and geographic coordinates for the Cannon TACAN would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. This action would bring the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14488-14489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05784]
[[Page 14488]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2026-3238; Airspace Docket No. 26-ASW-3]
RIN 2120-AA66
Amendment of Class D and Class E Airspace and Establishment of
Class E Airspace; Clovis, NM, and Portales, NM
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend the Class D and Class E airspace
at Clovis, NM, and establish Class E airspace at Clovis, NM, and
Portales, NM. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of a
biennial airspace review conducted for Cannon AFB (Air Force Base),
Clovis, NM, and airspace reviews conducted at Clovis Regional Airport,
Clovis, NM, and Portales Municipal Airport, Portales, NM, due to
updated instrument procedures. The name and geographic coordinates for
the Cannon TACAN would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's
aeronautical database. This action would bring the airspace into
compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR)
procedures and operations.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by FAA Docket No. FAA-2026-3238 and
Airspace Docket No. 26-ASW-3 using any of the following methods:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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 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 7400.11K, 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,
600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; telephone: (202) 267-
8783.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation
Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101
Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.
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
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 amend the Class D and Class E airspace and establish Class
E airspace at the affected airports to support IFR operations.
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 received 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-14FDMS), 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
Office (see the ADDRESSES section for the address, phone number, and
hours of operations). An informal docket may also be examined during
normal business hours at the Federal Aviation Administration, Air
Traffic Organization, Central Service Center, Operations Support Group,
10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177.
Incorporation by Reference
Class D and E airspace relevant to this action are published in
paragraphs 5000, 6002, and 6005 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 7400.11K, dated August 4,
2025, and effective September 15, 2025. These updates would be
published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO
7400.11K, which lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air
traffic service routes, and reporting points, is publicly available as
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document.
The Proposal
The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 that would
modify the
[[Page 14489]]
Class D airspace, Class E surface airspace, and Class E airspace
extending upward from 700 ft. above the surface at Clovis, NM, and
establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 ft. above the
surface at Clovis, NM, and Portales, NM due to a biennial airspace
review and airspace reviews conducted due to updated instrument
procedures.
For the Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM, Class D airspace, the proposal
would: (1) decrease the radius from 6 miles to 5.4 miles; (2) add an
extension within 1 mile each side of the 039[deg] bearing from the
Cannon TACAN extending from the 5.4-mile radius to 5.9 miles northeast
of the airport; and (3) update the outdated term ``Airport/Facility
Directory'' to ``Chart Supplement.''
For the Cannon AFB Class E surface area, the proposal would: (1)
decrease the radius from 6 miles to 5.4 miles; (2) add an extension
within 1 mile each side of the 039[deg] bearing from the Cannon TACAN
extending from the 5.4-mile radius to 5.9 miles northeast of the
airport; (3) remove the Cannon ILS Localizer from the airspace legal
description as it is not required; (4) update the geographic
coordinates and the name of the Cannon TACAN, previously Cannon TACAN0,
to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database; and (5) update the
outdated term ``Airport/Facility Directory'' to ``Chart Supplement.''
For the Cannon AFB Class E airspace extending upward from 700 ft.
above the surface, the proposal would: (1) decrease the radius from 20
miles to 7.9 miles; (2) remove the Portales Municipal Airport and
associated airspace from the airspace legal description as separate
airspace is being established to comply with FAA Order JO 7400.2R,
Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters; (3) remove the Texico VORTAC
and associated extension as they are no longer required; and (4) remove
the city associated with Cannon AFB from the airspace legal description
header to comply with changes to FAA Order JO 7400.2R.
The proposal would establish Class E airspace extending upward from
700 ft. above the surface within a 7.5-mile radius of Clovis Regional
Airport, Clovis, NM.
And the proposal would establish Class E airspace extending upward
from 700 ft. above the surface within a 7.4-mile radius of Portales
Municipal Airport, Portales, NM.
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
Order 2100.6B, ``Policies and Procedures for Rulemakings'' (March 10,
2025); 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 1050.1G, ``FAA National Environmental Policy
Act Implementing 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
7400.11K, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 4,
2025, and effective September 15, 2025, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.
* * * * *
ASW NM D Clovis, NM [Amended]
Cannon AFB, NM
(Lat. 34[deg]22'58'' N, long. 103[deg]19'20'' W)
Cannon TACAN
(Lat. 34[deg]22'50'' N, long. 103[deg]19'21'' W)
That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including
6,800 feet MSL within a 5.4-mile radius Cannon AFB; and within 1
mile each side of the 039[deg] bearing from the Cannon TACAN
extending from the 5.4-mile radius of Cannon AFB to 5.9 miles
northeast of Cannon AFB. The Class D airspace area is effective
during the specific dates and times established in advance by the
Notice to Airmen. The effective dates and times will thereafter be
continuously published in the Chart Supplement.
* * * * *
Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as Surface Areas.
* * * * *
ASW NM E2 Clovis, NM [Amended]
Cannon AFB, NM
(Lat. 34[deg]22'58'' N, long. 103[deg]19'20'' W)
Cannon TACAN
(Lat. 34[deg]22'50'' N, long. 103[deg]19'21'' W)
That airspace extending upward from the surface within a 5.4-
mile radius Cannon AFB; and within 1 mile each side of the 039[deg]
bearing from the Cannon TACAN extending from the 5.4-mile radius of
Cannon AFB to 5.9 miles northeast of Cannon AFB. The Class E
airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times
established in advance by the Notice to Airmen. The effective dates
and times will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart
Supplement.
* * * * *
Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700
Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.
* * * * *
ASW NM E5 Clovis, NM [Amended]
Cannon AFB, NM
(Lat. 34[deg]22'58'' N, long. 103[deg]19'20'' W)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 7.9-mile radius of Cannon AFB.
* * * * *
ASW NM E5 Clovis, NM [Establish]
Clovis Regional Airport, NM
(Lat. 34[deg]25'36'' N, long. 103[deg]04'39'' W)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 7.5-mile radius of Clovis Regional Airport.
* * * * *
ASW NM E5 Portales, NM [Establish]
Portales Municipal Airport, NM
(Lat. 34[deg]08'44'' N, long. 103[deg]24'37'' W)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 7.4-mile radius of Portales Municipal Airport.
* * * * *
Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 23, 2026.
Courtney E. Johns,
Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2026-05784 Filed 3-24-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 25, 2026.
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