Amendment of Domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-7, V-35, V-157, V-159, and V-198; Eastern United States

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 71</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2024-2513; Airspace Docket No. 24-ASO-14]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA66</RIN> <SUBJECT>Amendment of Domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-7, V-35, V-157, V-159, and V-198; 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 amends domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-7, V-35, V-157, V-159, and V-198 in the eastern United States. The FAA is taking this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Cross City, FL (CTY), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Taylor, FL (TAY), VORTAC. 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, 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> Brian Vidis, Rules and Regulations Group, Policy Directorate, Federal Aviation Administration, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20597; 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 2024-2513 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (89 FR 93235; November 26, 2024), proposing to amend domestic VOR Federal Airways V-7, V-35, V-157, V-159, and V-198 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. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Differences From the NPRM</HD> Subsequent the NPRM, the FAA published a final rule for Docket No. FAA-2024-1848 in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> (90 FR 9216; February 10, 2025), amending VOR Federal Airway V-35, V-157, and V-159. That final rule amended VOR Federal Airway V-35 by removing the airway segments between the Dolphin, FL (DHP), VORTAC and the Lee County, FL (RSW), VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cypress, FL (CYY), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME). Additionally, that final rule amended VOR Federal Airway V-157 by removing the airway segments between the Dolphin VORTAC and the Lakeland, FL (LAL), VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the La Belle, FL (LBV), VORTAC. Finally, that final rule amended VOR Federal Airway V-159 by removing the airway segments between the Virginia Key, FL (VKZ), VOR/DME and the intersection of the Melbourne, FL (MLB), VOR/DME 269° and the Orlando, FL (ORL), VORTAC 140° radials (DEARY Fix) due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Treasure, FL (TRV), VORTAC. Those route amendments are effective April 17, 2025, and are included in this final rule. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Incorporation by Reference</HD> Domestic VOR Federal Airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) 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 amending domestic VOR Federal Airways V-7, V-35, V-157, V-159, and V-198 to support the planned decommissioning of the Cross City, FL (CTY), VORTAC and the Taylor, FL (TAY), VORTAC. This action is in support of the FAA's VOR MON Program. The ATS route changes are described below. <E T="03">V-7:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-7 extended between the Dolphin, FL (DHP), VORTAC and the Vulcan, AL, (VUZ), VORTAC; and between the Pocket City, IN (PXV), VORTAC and the intersection of the Chicago Heights, IL (CGT), VORTAC 358° and the Badger, WI (BAE), VOR/DME 117° radials (PETTY Fix). The FAA removes the airway segments between the Lakeland, FL (LAL), VORTAC and the Seminole, FL (SZW), VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cross City, FL (CTY), VORTAC. As amended, the route extends between the Dolphin VORTAC and the Lakeland VORTAC; between the Seminole VORTAC and the Vulcan VORTAC; and between the Pocket City VORTAC and the PETTY Fix. <E T="03">V-35:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-35 extended between the Lee County, FL (RSW), 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 Stonyfork, PA (SFK), VOR/DME. The FAA removes the airway segments between the St. Petersburg, FL (PIE), VORTAC and the Greenville, FL (GEF), VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cross City, FL (CTY), VORTAC; and removes the airway segment between the Greenville VORTAC and the Pecan VOR/DME due to the segment being no longer needed as redundant navigation capability is provided by VOR Federal Airway V-159. As amended, the route extends between the Lee County VORTAC and the St. Petersburg VORTAC; between the SINCA Fix and the Morgantown VOR/DME; and between the Philipsburg VORTAC and the Stonyfork VOR/DME. <E T="03">V-157:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-157 extended between the Key West, FL (EYW), VORTAC and the Dolphin, FL (DHP), VORTAC; between the Lakeland, FL (LAL), VORTAC and the Waycross, GA (AYS), VORTAC; between the Florence, SC (FLO), VORTAC and the Tar River, NC (TYI), VORTAC; and between the Robbinsville, NJ (RBV), VORTAC and the Albany, NY (ALB), VORTAC. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Ocala, FL (OCF), VORTAC and the Waycross VORTAC and replaces it with the Gators, FL (GNV), VORTAC; the intersection of the Gators VORTAC 343° True (T)/347° Magnetic (M) and the Waycross VORTAC 180°T/180°M radials; Waycross VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Taylor, FL (TAY), VORTAC. Additionally, The FAA extends VOR Federal Airway V-157 to the north between the Waycross VORTAC and the Dublin, GA (DBN), VORTAC due to a need by the Department of Defense for navigation capability between the Ocala, FL, and the Dublin, GA, areas. As amended, the route extends between the Key West VORTAC and the Dolphin VORTAC; between the Lakeland VORTAC and the Dublin VORTAC; between the Florence VORTAC and the Tar River VORTAC; and between the Robbinsville VORTAC and the Albany VORTAC. <E T="03">V-159:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-159 extended between the intersection of the Melbourne, FL (MLB), VOR/DME 269° and the Orlando, FL (ORL), VORTAC 140° radials (DEARY Fix) and the Vulcan, AL (VUZ), VORTAC; and between the Holly Springs, MS (HLI), VORTAC and the Omaha, IA (OVR), VORTAC. The FAA removes the airway segments between the Ocala, FL (OCF), VORTAC and the Greenville, FL (GEF), VORTAC due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Cross City, FL (CTY), VORTAC. As amended, the route extends between the DEARY Fix and the Ocala VORTAC; between the Greenville VORTAC and the Vulcan VORTAC; and between the Holly Springs VORTAC and the Omaha VORTAC. <E T="03">V-198:</E> Prior to this final rule, V-198 extended between the San Simon, AZ (SSO), VORTAC and the San Antonio, TX (SAT), VORTAC; and between the Sabine Pass, TX (SBI), VOR/DME and the Craig, FL (CRG), VORTAC. The FAA removes the Taylor, FL (TAY), VORTAC from the route and updates the definition of the MONIA Fix as the intersection of the Greenville, FL (GEF), VORTAC 092° T/091°M and the Craig VORTAC 287°T/290°M radials due to the scheduled decommissioning of the Taylor VORTAC. The FAA also removes multiple altitude floor restrictions in the route description of VOR Federal Airway V- ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 16k characters. 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