Establishment, Amendment, and Revocation of Multiple Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Eastern United States

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 71</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2023-2315; Airspace Docket No. 22-AEA-26]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA66</RIN> <SUBJECT>Establishment, Amendment, and Revocation of Multiple Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Eastern United States</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> This action establishes United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-221 and Q-227; amends Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-35, V-147, and V-270 and RNAV Routes T-440 and T-445; and revokes VOR Federal Airway V-36 and Jet Routes J-132, J-223, and J-227 in the eastern United States. The FAA is taking this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME). This action is in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective date 0901 UTC, September 5, 2024. 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. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> A copy of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), all comments received, this final rule, and all background material may be viewed online at <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> 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. FAA Order JO 7400.11H, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at <E T="03">www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/.</E> 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. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Brian Vidis, Rules and Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-8783. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Authority for This Rulemaking</HD> 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 modifies the Air Traffic Service (ATS) route structure as necessary to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic within the National Airspace System. <HD SOURCE="HD1">History</HD> The FAA published a NPRM for Docket No. FAA 2023-2315 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (89 FR 2522; January 16, 2024), proposing to amend three VOR Federal airways and two RNAV routes; and to revoke one VOR Federal airway and three Jet routes in the eastern United States. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received. In a previous NPRM, Docket No. FAA-2023-1835 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (88 FR 68516; October 4, 2023), the FAA proposed to establish RNAV Routes Q-221 and Q-227. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Differences From the NPRM</HD> The NPRM published for Docket No. FAA 2023-2315 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (89 FR 2522; January 16, 2024) contained a typographical error in the summary section. The summary section stated that the NPRM was proposing to revoke two VOR Federal airways. This should have stated that it was proposing to revoke one VOR Federal Airway. This final rule corrects this error. In a previous NPRM, Docket No. FAA-2023-1835 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (88 FR 68516; October 4, 2023), the FAA proposed to establish RNAV Routes Q-221 and Q-227. No comments were received. The FAA decided to establish RNAV Route Q-221 and Q-227 in this docket as they mitigate the loss of navigation capability due to the removal of Jet Route J-227 that is revoked in this action. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Incorporation by Reference</HD> Jet Routes are published in paragraph 2004, United States Area Navigation Routes (Q-routes) are published in paragraph 2006, Domestic 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 amends the current version of that order, FAA Order JO 7400.11H, dated August 11, 2023, and effective September 15, 2023. FAA Order JO 7400.11H is publicly available as listed in the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section of this document. These amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11H lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points. <HD SOURCE="HD1">The Rule</HD> This action amends 14 CFR part 71 by establishing RNAV Routes Q-221 and Q-227; amending VOR Federal Airways V-35, V-147, and V-270 and RNAV Routes T-440 and T-445; and revokes VOR Federal Airway V-36 and Jet Routes J-132, J-223, and J-227 in the eastern United States. This action is due to the decommissioning of the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME. The ATS route changes are described below. <E T="03">J-132:</E> Prior to this final rule, J-132 extended between the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME and the Huguenot, NY (HUO), VOR/DME. The FAA removes the route in its entirety. <E T="03">J-223:</E> Prior to this final rule, J-223 extended between the La Guardia, NY (LGA), VOR/DME and the intersection of the La Guardia VOR/DME 310° and Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME 110° radials (CORDS Fix). The FAA removes the route in its entirety. <E T="03">J-227:</E> Prior to this final rule, J-227 extended between the Armel, VA (AML), VOR/DME and the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME. The FAA removes the route in its entirety. <E T="03">Q-221:</E> Q-221 is a new route that extends between the Armel, VA (AML), VOR/DME and the DLMAR, PA, waypoint (WP). Q-221 overlays Jet Route J-220 between the Armel VOR/DME and the DLMAR WP which is co-located with the Stonyfork, PA (SFK), VOR/DME. <E T="03">Q-227:</E> Q-227 is a new route that extends between the Armel, VA (AML), VOR/DME and the STUBN, NY, WP. Q-227 overlays Jet Route J-227 between the Armel VOR/DME and the STUBN WP which is co-located with the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME. <E T="03">V-35:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-35 extended between the Dolphin, FL (DHP), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Pecan, GA (PZD), VOR/DME; between the intersection of the Dublin, GA (DBN), VORTAC 309° and the Athens, GA (AHN), VOR/DME 195° radials (SINCA Fix) and the Morgantown, WV (MGW), VOR/DME; and between the Philipsburg, PA (PSB), VORTAC and the Syracuse, NY (SYR), VORTAC. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Stonyfork, PA (SFK), VOR/DME and the Syracuse VORTAC. As amended, the route extends between the Dolphin VORTAC and the Pecan VOR/DME; between the SINCA Fix and the Morgantown VOR/DME; and between the Philipsburg VORTAC and the Stonyfork VOR/DME. <E T="03">V-36:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-36 extended between the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME and the intersection of the La Guardia, NY (LGA), VOR/DME 310° and the Stillwater, NJ (STW), VOR/DME 043° radials. The FAA removes the route in its entirety. <E T="03">V-147:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-147 extended between the Yardley, PA (ARD), VOR/DME and the Rochester, NY (ROC), VOR/DME. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Wilkes-Barre, PA (LVZ), VORTAC and the Geneseo, NY (GEE), VOR/DME. As amended, the route extends between the Yardley VOR/DME and the Wilkes-Barre VORTAC, and between the Geneseo VOR/DME and the Rochester VOR/DME. <E T="03">V-270:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-270 extended between the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME and the Boston, MA (BOS), VOR/DME. The FAA removes the airway segment between the Elmira VOR/DME and the Binghamton, NY (CFB), VOR/DME. Additionally, the FAA removes the Delancey, NY (DNY), VOR/DME from the route and replaces it with the intersection of the Binghamton VOR/DME 088° and the Sparta, NJ (SAX), VORTAC 344° radials (DANZI Fix). Replacement of the Delancey VOR/DME with the DANZI Fix provides continued connection to other ATS routes in the route structure. As amended, the route extends between the Binghamton VOR/DME and the Boston VOR/DME. <E T="03">T-440:</E> Prior to this final rule, T-440 extended between the Elmira, NY (ULW), VOR/DME and the TALLI, PA, Fix. The FAA removes the Elmira VOR/DME and replaces it with the STUBN, NY, WP which is located 60 feet southeast of the Elmira VOR/DME. The amended RNAV route mitigates the removal of airway segments of V-147 and provides RNAV route structure continuity. As amended, the route extends between the STUBN WP and the TALLI Fix. <E T="03">T-445:</E> Prior to this final rule, T-445 extended between the Harrisburg, PA (HAR), VORTA ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 18k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━