Rule2026-19143
Amendment of Class E Airspace; Alma, MI
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 18, 2026
Effective
December 24, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This action amends the Class E airspace at Alma, MI. This action is due to an airspace review conducted due to the decommissioning of the Mount Pleasant very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. This action brings the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and supports instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59054-59055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19143]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2026-7756; Airspace Docket No. 26-AGL-14]
RIN 2120-AA66
Amendment of Class E Airspace; Alma, MI
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This action amends the Class E airspace at Alma, MI. This
action is due to an airspace review conducted due to the
decommissioning of the Mount Pleasant very high frequency
omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimum Operational
Network (MON) Program. This action brings the airspace into compliance
with FAA orders and supports instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures
and operations.
DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, December 24, 2026. The Director of the
Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under
1 CFR part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA Order JO 7400.11
and publication of conforming amendments.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), all
comments received, this final rule, and all background material may be
viewed online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> using the FAA Docket number.
Electronic retrieval help and guidelines are available on the website.
It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. An electronic
copy of this document may also be downloaded from
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>.
FAA Order JO 7400.11M, 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: 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 amends the Class E airspace at the affected airport to support
IFR operations.
History
The FAA published an NPRM for Docket No. FAA-2026-7756 in the
Federal Register (91 FR 42682; July 10, 2026) proposing to amend the
Class E airspace at Alma, MI, and published an NPRM Correction (91 FR
46759; July 24, 2026) to correct the title of the NPRM. Interested
parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by
submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. Two (2)
comments were received.
The first comment received supported the FAA's correction of the
NPRM. The FAA acknowledges the comment and appreciates the support.
The second comment received stated that due to the error in the
title of the initial NPRM published on July 10, 2026, that the FAA did
not provide the required 45-days for the public to comment in
accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). However, with
the publication of the NPRM correction, the comment period was
restarted and extended for the 45-day period following the July 24,
2026, publication of the NPRM correction. As a result, the NPRM comment
period was a total of 59 days. The commenter stated, however, that the
correction may have failed to trigger certain notification algorithms,
depriving certain commenters of the full comment period. However, the
APA provides no distinct requirement to extend comment periods
[[Page 59055]]
through re-issued NPRMs to ensure triggering notification algorithms.
Moreover, the submission of the detailed comment itself demonstrates
that the commenter received actual notice, algorithms notwithstanding.
Therefore, the FAA declines to adopt the commenter's suggestion or
otherwise extend the comment period further. The commenter did not
provide any substantive feedback related to the proposal.
Incorporation by Reference
Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 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 amends the current version of that order, FAA Order JO
7400.11M, dated July 30, 2026, and effective September 15, 2026. These
amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO
7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11M, 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 Rule
This action amends 14 CFR part 71 by modifying the Class E airspace
extending upward from 700 ft. above the surface at Alma, Michigan due
to an airspace review conducted as part of the decommissioning of the
Mount Pleasant VOR as part of the VOR MON Program.
For the Gratiot Community Airport, Alma, MI, Class E airspace
extending upward from 700 ft. above the surface, this action: (1)
increases the radius from 6.5 to 7.4 miles; (2) amends the extension
west of the airport to within 2 miles each side of the 270[deg] bearing
from the airport extending from the 7.4-mile (previously 6.5-mile)
radius to 10.7 (increased from 10.1) miles west of the airport; (3)
removes the Mount Pleasant VOR/DME and associated extension from the
airspace legal description; and (4) removes the city associated with
the airport from the header of the airspace legal description to comply
with changes to FAA Order JO 7400.2R, Procedures for Handling Airspace
Matters.
Regulatory Notices and Analyses
The FAA has determined that this 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) is expected to result in, at most, de minimis costs from
compliance with applicable operating requirements or minor flight
rerouting for operators choosing to navigate around the controlled
airspace. Since these amendments are routine and the expected impact to
operators is de minimis, the FAA certifies that this rule, when
promulgated, does not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Environmental Review
The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance
with FAA Order 1050.1G, ``FAA National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Procedures,'' Paragraph B-2.5(a). This airspace action is
not expected to cause any potentially significant environmental
impacts, and no extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant
preparation of an environmental assessment.
Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR 71
Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).
The Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation
Administration amends 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
7400.11M, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 30,
2026, and effective September 15, 2026, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700
Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.
* * * * *
AGL MI E5 Alma, MI [Amended]
Gratiot Community Airport, MI
(Lat 43[deg]19'20'' N, long 084[deg]41'17'' W)
That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface
within a 7.4-mile radius of Gratiot Community Airport; and within 2
miles either side of a 270[deg] bearing from the airport extending
from the 7.4-mile radius to 10.7 miles west of the airport.
* * * * *
Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 16, 2026.
Courtney E. Johns,
Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2026-19143 Filed 9-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 18, 2026.
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