Establishment of Class E Airspace; Blanding Municipal Airport, Blanding, UT

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 71</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2024-2499; Airspace Docket No. 24-ANM-116]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA66</RIN> <SUBJECT>Establishment of Class E Airspace; Blanding Municipal Airport, Blanding, UT</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 modifies the Class E airspace at Blanding Municipal Airport, UT by establishing Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface and removing Class E airspace extending from 1,200 feet above the surface at the airport. Additionally, this action makes administrative amendments to update the airport's legal description. These actions support the airport's instrument flight rules (IFR) operations by modifying transitional Class E airspace at the airport. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Effective date 0901 UTC, August 7, 2025, 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 7400.11J, 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, Policy Directorate, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; telephone: (202) 267-8783. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Nathan A. Chaffman, Federal Aviation Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-3460. </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 Class E airspace at Blanding Municipal Airport, Blanding, UT, by establishing Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface and removing Class E airspace extending from 1,200 feet above the surface at the airport. <HD SOURCE="HD1">History</HD> The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking for Docket No. FAA-2024-2499 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (90 FR 1049; January 7, 2025), proposing to establish Class E airspace at Blanding Municipal Airport, Blanding, UT. 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 exclusionary language for the proposed Class E airspace within the NPRM contained the phrase “excluding that airspace parallel to the runway 3.1 miles west.” That phrase has been modified to read “excluding that airspace beyond 3.1 miles west of and parallel to the runway” for added clarity in the airspace description. Class E airspace extending upward from at least 700 feet above the surface already exists at the airport, however, the NPRM contained verbiage within its title and body that described the desired airspace action as the “establishment” of Class E airspace. The proposal should have included verbiage that instead described the desired action as the “modification” of Class E airspace. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Incorporation by Reference</HD> Class E airspace areas 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 7400.11J, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024. These amendments will be published in the next update to FAA Order JO 7400.11. FAA Order JO 7400.11J is publicly available as listed in the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11J 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 modifying the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface at Blanding Municipal Airport, Blanding, UT. Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet is established within a 6.2-mile radius of the airport excluding that airspace beyond 3.1 miles west of and parallel to the runway, and is extended 11.9 miles to the northeast to contain departing IFR operations until they reach 1,200 feet above the surface. Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface is removed due to redundancy, as containment is provided by Denver Class E En Route Domestic Airspace that also extends upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. Finally, the legal description's geographical coordinates for the airport are updated to match the FAA's database. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Regulatory Notices and Analyses</HD> 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 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 only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this rule does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Environmental Review</HD> The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, “Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures,” paragraph 5-6.5.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. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71</HD> Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air). </LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HD1">The Amendment</HD> In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="71"> 1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority:</HD> 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 71.1 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended]</SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="71"> 2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated July 31, 2024, and effective September 15, 2024, is amended as follows: <EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.</HD> <STARS/> <HD SOURCE="HD1">ANM UT E5 Blanding, UT [Amended]</HD> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">Blanding Municipal Airport, UT</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">(Lat. 37°35′00″ N, long. 109°28′60″ W)</FP> That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.2-mile radius of the airport excluding that airspace beyond 3.1 miles west of and parallel to the runway, and within 2.1 miles northwest and 2.9 miles southeast of the airport's 032° bearing extending from the 6.2-mile radius to 11.9 miles northeast. <STARS/> </EXTRACT> </REGTEXT> <SIG> <DATED>Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on April 4, 2025.</DATED> <NAME>B.G. Chew,</NAME> Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center. </SIG> </SUPLINF> <FRDOC>[FR Doc. 2025-06111 Filed 4-9-25; 8:45 am]</FRDOC> </RULE>